The Church of Scientology is in trouble again. This time, alleged cult is accused of offering a drugs-for-sex trade. According to a March 24 report by KWTV Channel 9 News inOklahoma City, the Church of Scientology's drug rehab center, Narconon Arrowhead in Pittsburg County has been trading drugs for sex.
In addition to the drugs-for-sex allegations, Narconon Arrowhead also fraudulently charged $14,500 to a client's credit card. Lawsuits have been filed for both the drugs-for-sex trade and the fraudulent credit card charges.
“Everything about the Church of Scientology gives me the creeps,” Sheri Miller, from Norman, said. “I had heard of them even before Tom Cruise got involved with them and I thought they were some sort of a cult back then. Now that I know more about them, I am convinced they are a cult.”
Another Church of Scientology rehab center in Canadian, Ok. Is also under investigation. Three clients died in the rehab center in one year. A fourth client died in a local hospital. No criminal charges have been filed regarding those deaths, despite the families suing Narconon Arrowhead.
Lawsuits allege Narconon Arrowhead counselors traded sex for drugs
By Jeanne LeFlore
Posted: 03/22/2013 2:07 PM
Narconon Arrowhead counselors allegedly traded drugs for sex and fraudulently charged a patient’s credit card some $14,500, according to allegations in five lawsuits filed Thursday against the facility.
The suits were filed in Pittsburg County District Court against Narconon of Oklahoma, Narconon International, Association of Better Living and Education International on behalf of family members of former clients of Narconon Arrowhead.
Also among the allegations, the suits say Narconon influenced a grandmother to take out a $7,000 loan to “save her grandson’s life” and charged some $14,500 to a credit card obtained without the cardholder’s knowledge.
Narconon Arrowhead officials contend their mission “has always been to help people overcome addiction and prevent kids from becoming addicts ... and the lawsuits are “financially motivated and have no foundation of truth ...” according to a statement issued by the facility Thursday.
Narconon Arrowhead is a non-profit drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Canadian affiliated with the Church of Scientology. The facility has been under investigation following the deaths of three Narconon clients found dead at the facility within a year. A fourth patient died while at the hospital.
The deaths also spurred legislation to regulate facilities such as Narconon Arrowhead. In February, Senate Bill 295 was passed out of the Senate unopposed and is set to go before the House Public Health committee this month before going for a House vote, according to co-author of the bill State Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie.
“The purview is to give the department of mental health oversight of drug rehab facilities specifically due to concerns which began last summer at Narconon,” Murphey said. “I think (the bill) will do fine in the House.”
Last year, local state Rep. Brian Renegar, D-McAlester, supported the legislation. Earlier this month, he said he had conducted his own investigation into the facility and no longer supports the bill. He also he had a family member go through the Narconon program after the deaths were reported.
Meanwhile, the five lawsuits filed Thursday follow a string of wrongful death lawsuits filed by Tulsa attorney Gary Richardson. Richardson also represents the families of three people found dead at the facility and who are also suing Narconon Arrowhead.
The lawsuits follow the July 19 death of Stacy Dawn Murphy, 20, of Owasso, which prompted an investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office and the state department of mental health
The investigation later expanded to include three other deaths: Hillary Holten, 21, who was found dead at Narconon Arrowhead in April; Gabriel Graves, 32, who died at the facility in October, and Kaysie Dianne Werninck, 28, who died in 2009 at a local hospital while she was a client of the facility.
No criminal charges have been filed in the deaths. District 18 District Attorney Farley Ward said he is still looking into the case.
The five lawsuits filed Thursday allege false representation, fraud and deceit, non-disclosure or concealment, breach of contract and civil conspiracy.
According to the lawsuit filed on behalf of Sue Newman and Dean Shobe, representatives of Narconon Arrowhead applied for credit cards in Newman’s name and allegedly without her knowledge, and charged about $14,500 to the cards at a 23 percent interest rate.
According to the lawsuit, the charges were allegedly made to the cards after Narconon reneged on an interest-free “loan and work program” allegedly set up with Newman when she couldn’t afford the $15,000 charge to enter the Narconon program.
Another suit was filed by Mary Cantu, the mother of a Narconon client. The suit alleges Narconon counselors “provided drugs and alcohol in exchange for sex” and that “drugs were readily available and constantly taken.”
The suit also alleges the Cantu’s son left the program and spent the night in a nearby park after he witnessed his roommate having a seizure.
Lisa Gray also filed suit, alleging she was told her son would receive treatment that he never received, and that he was charged $15,000 for the program and another $15,000 for “book work.” The suit also alleges the Narconon program is overseen by recovering drug addicts and alcoholics and is a “scheme or a sham and a front to recruit Scientologists.” The suit further alleges that no medical doctor is substantially involved in the program.
Two days after her son was admitted, Narconon officials contacted Gray’s husband and received $10,000 after allegedly telling him payment was needed to be made to save his son’s life, her lawsuit alleges. Another $7,000 payment was made by the son’s grandmother “after she took out loan because she was told (the program) would save (her grandsons) life,” the lawsuit states.
After admission to the program, the suit alleges that her son was not given his inhaler and had trouble breathing and that no doctor had seen him.
Vicky White’s suit alleges that before admitting her son, Narconon staff told her on numerous occasions she “had to do something now” or else her son could die. And although she couldn’t afford the program, she was allegedly told that “to save her son’s life,” financial arrangements could be made.
A separate filing by Gina Nelsen states she paid $25,000 in cash to admit her son after being convinced, based upon “misrepresentations, lies, deceit and fraudulent inducements” that she needed to place her son at the facility. Her suit also alleges the program is a scam, a recruiting tool and funding source for the Church of Scientology which uses “unscientifically based methods of treatment of students by former students” who are unqualified former and current drug addicts and alcoholics.
Nelson’s suit also alleges sex is exchanged for drugs on the property, and the treatment plan entails the reading of books written by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology.
Nelson filing also alleges Narconon failed to advise prospective clients that the Narconon program is “not accepted in the medical community as being valid or effective and that the program has more than a 70 percent success rate,” which according to the lawsuit is “unheard of.”
Each of the suits seeks more than $75,000.
In a statement issued Thursday, Narconon Arrowhead said “it is pretty clear that these lawsuits are financially motivated and have no foundation of truth contained in them.
“As in any lawsuit that is filed allegations are made which contain gossip and information that often times is not factual. It is in the courtroom where the truth will prevail.”
According to the statement, the Narconon organization has been helping people “overcome drug and alcohol addiction in the United States for 47 years and in Oklahoma for 23 years.”
“We are confident that justice will be served in these matters and Narconon will continue to achieve its purpose.”
Contact Jeanne LeFlore at jleflore@mcalesternews.com.
For more on this story, see the print or electronic editions of the McAlester News-Capital. Click here for print edition home delivery or click here to see the Smart Edition for your computer, tablet, e-reader or smartphone.
What Intelligent Celebrities Say About Scientology
We know the celebrities that used to have some intelligence, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Tom Cruise and Nancy Cartwright. These are the Famous Faces of Scientology. We know what they have to say about Scientology and its myriad under-corporations. But what do non-Scientologist celebrities say about Scientology? We will look at a few of them here today. Thanks to FACTNET for compiling and keeping these safe for us.
Graham Berry recalls:
"I learned today that after George Magazine did its article on Germany and Scientology, David Miscavige flew east and met with John Kennedy, Jr. After the self-appointed cult leader left the meeting Kennedy thought and said: 'what a nasty piece of work he is.'"
A quip from Howard Stern goes, 'My dad's Jewish and my mom's a Scientologist, so I sell clay tables at half price.'
Graham Berry recalls:
"I learned today that after George Magazine did its article on Germany and Scientology, David Miscavige flew east and met with John Kennedy, Jr. After the self-appointed cult leader left the meeting Kennedy thought and said: 'what a nasty piece of work he is.'"
A quip from Howard Stern goes, 'My dad's Jewish and my mom's a Scientologist, so I sell clay tables at half price.'
In an Open Letter from Steve Allen to Heber Jentzsch, President, Church of Scientology, June 1997:
"When I ran into you at an airport a few weeks ago there was no opportunity to have a talk, but since I have about 49 seconds free between appointments at the office this morning it occurs to me that you might be interested in an idea that I have suggested to you and other Scientologists before. When I spoke at a convention in the East quite a few months ago, a convention at which a dozen or so Scientologists were in attendance, I said something to them along the following lines. 'If I may make a suggestion to you folks, whatever your purely religious views are, you're entitled to them and they are more or less in the category of not anyone else's business. 'But I also suggest that it is not because of those views that your group doesn't have a very good reputation. There are other churches that, in the opinion of non-members, have some truly bizarre beliefs but no one dislikes the individual members as a result of those beliefs. 'The Mormons are a perfect example. No non-Mormon on Earth accepts a word of Mormon assertions about the experiences of Joseph Smith, visits with angels, golden plates, etc. But despite that fact the Mormons have a very good social reputation. A number of my personal friends are Mormons and they are for the most part lovely and socially decent people. 'But - again - the same cannot be said of Scientologists. And if I were you it would occur to me to wonder why. So, to save you a little wondering time, I'll tell you why right now. You have the reputation as just about the worst bullies this side of the National Rifle Association. I've talked this over with some of you and you've said that the terrible harassment's and crimes are a thing of the past, that you've learned from your earlier mistakes, etc. That may be true, and I certainly hope it is, not only for your sake but for the sake of everyone concerned. But to be honest, many people doubt that Scientology has reformed itself in this particular regard."
Writer Tilman Hausherr said of Race car driver Mario Andretti in 1988:
"The logo 'Dianetics' was removed from his car after he said he didn't want to be associated with the publication. 'It's not something I believe in, so I don't want to make it appear like I'm endorsing it,' Andretti said." "Logos are a matter between race promoters and sponsors. That's why Andretti did not know until he came to town that his car would be decorated with seven 'Dianetics' decals."
In 1997 someone commented that Scientology's belief system closely resembles the writings of Issac Asimov. Far from being flattered, Asimov was alarmed by Scientology and similar systems of pseudo-science.
'Never in history has humanity faced a crisis so deep, so intense, so pervasive, and so multi-faceted,' he wrote. 'There have never till now been so many people on earth so dependent on a complex technology, so burdened by its flaws, and so likely to witness a complete breakdown of that technology in a matter of decades. If we are to pull through we must thread our way carefully through the rapids that lie ahead. At every step we'll be depending on our knowledge, grasp and understanding of science, of its potentialities and its limitations... Under these circumstances, what crime is greater than that of misteaching the public about science?...Humanity has the stars in its future, and that future is too important to be lost under the burden of juvenile folly and ignorant superstition.'
In Skepticism and Science Fiction, 1996, author Greg Bear said:
"The delusional, no-talent charlatans may scoop in more money, but the game is truly not worth the coin. I sleep much better at might than they should. This brings up a case in point that illustrates the real role of skepticism in science fiction. Rumor has it that L. Ron Hubbard, a pretty good science fiction writer of the 1940s, made a conscious decision that science fiction was a mug's game and that the real money was in starting a religion. So he did, using science fiction magazines and a gullible, though very famous, science fiction editor to get his start. No one knows whether he eventually came to believe in what he wrote and sold to others as revealed truth. If I had been Hubbard, I would not have been able to convince myself. I suspect most charlatans realize that they have perverted very real, very useful aesthetic instincts to hoodwink large numbers of gullible people into believing and paying. When we stop being artists, and start being money-grubbing pseudo-prophets, the net is down, the ball can go anywhere in the court, and the audience has changed. This audience knows so little, and cares so little about the truth, that it oohs and aahs at every random serve, every double bounce, every net ball. It does not perceive the difference between an earned point and a flub. The charlatan on the court smiles and receives applause for all. That's not our audience. That's not my game."
From Joe Boyd, quoted in A Mind-Bending Experience in 1997 about Rose Simpson (Singer - Incredible String Band):
"Rose left LRH's cohorts behind years ago and, in her present capacity as mayoress of Aberystwyth, revealed in a recent interview how Scientology had narrowed the band's view of the world and how damaging that had been to their music."
And a great catch by our good friend Arnie Lerma:
"Sunday Nights episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 had a hilarious Scientology Reference... During one scene of Sunday nights show, the 'hero' of the movie walks out of a bar and is jumped by a couple of thugs who proceed to beat him up. The commentary, as he's attacked is, 'LET US INTRODUCE YOU TO SCIENTOLOGY!'" - Mike The Flexing Rectum Rinder . "A picture of a Volcano appears in the old movie being shown, one of the fellows says: 'Oh wow, man, D-ann-ett-ics....' Next guy sez: 'See Page 57, how to get more money out of Tom Cruise..."
Joe Kevany (Comedian):
Some L.A. schools were found to be using textbooks by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, says Joe Kevany. "The methods seem to be working. Several of the students now want to start their own religions when they grow up." - LA Times 4.8.1997
"I'm afraid he went crazy and turned a lot of other people crazy." [Arthur C. Clarke talking about L Ron Hubbard, KFYI radio, Phoenix Arizona 8-9 pm show 1/24/04]
And to the Celebrities who have started on their recovery, Jason Beghe, Paul Haggis, Katie Holmes, and Nazanin Boniadi, welcome back to the real world.
"When I ran into you at an airport a few weeks ago there was no opportunity to have a talk, but since I have about 49 seconds free between appointments at the office this morning it occurs to me that you might be interested in an idea that I have suggested to you and other Scientologists before. When I spoke at a convention in the East quite a few months ago, a convention at which a dozen or so Scientologists were in attendance, I said something to them along the following lines. 'If I may make a suggestion to you folks, whatever your purely religious views are, you're entitled to them and they are more or less in the category of not anyone else's business. 'But I also suggest that it is not because of those views that your group doesn't have a very good reputation. There are other churches that, in the opinion of non-members, have some truly bizarre beliefs but no one dislikes the individual members as a result of those beliefs. 'The Mormons are a perfect example. No non-Mormon on Earth accepts a word of Mormon assertions about the experiences of Joseph Smith, visits with angels, golden plates, etc. But despite that fact the Mormons have a very good social reputation. A number of my personal friends are Mormons and they are for the most part lovely and socially decent people. 'But - again - the same cannot be said of Scientologists. And if I were you it would occur to me to wonder why. So, to save you a little wondering time, I'll tell you why right now. You have the reputation as just about the worst bullies this side of the National Rifle Association. I've talked this over with some of you and you've said that the terrible harassment's and crimes are a thing of the past, that you've learned from your earlier mistakes, etc. That may be true, and I certainly hope it is, not only for your sake but for the sake of everyone concerned. But to be honest, many people doubt that Scientology has reformed itself in this particular regard."
Writer Tilman Hausherr said of Race car driver Mario Andretti in 1988:
"The logo 'Dianetics' was removed from his car after he said he didn't want to be associated with the publication. 'It's not something I believe in, so I don't want to make it appear like I'm endorsing it,' Andretti said." "Logos are a matter between race promoters and sponsors. That's why Andretti did not know until he came to town that his car would be decorated with seven 'Dianetics' decals."
In 1997 someone commented that Scientology's belief system closely resembles the writings of Issac Asimov. Far from being flattered, Asimov was alarmed by Scientology and similar systems of pseudo-science.
'Never in history has humanity faced a crisis so deep, so intense, so pervasive, and so multi-faceted,' he wrote. 'There have never till now been so many people on earth so dependent on a complex technology, so burdened by its flaws, and so likely to witness a complete breakdown of that technology in a matter of decades. If we are to pull through we must thread our way carefully through the rapids that lie ahead. At every step we'll be depending on our knowledge, grasp and understanding of science, of its potentialities and its limitations... Under these circumstances, what crime is greater than that of misteaching the public about science?...Humanity has the stars in its future, and that future is too important to be lost under the burden of juvenile folly and ignorant superstition.'
In Skepticism and Science Fiction, 1996, author Greg Bear said:
"The delusional, no-talent charlatans may scoop in more money, but the game is truly not worth the coin. I sleep much better at might than they should. This brings up a case in point that illustrates the real role of skepticism in science fiction. Rumor has it that L. Ron Hubbard, a pretty good science fiction writer of the 1940s, made a conscious decision that science fiction was a mug's game and that the real money was in starting a religion. So he did, using science fiction magazines and a gullible, though very famous, science fiction editor to get his start. No one knows whether he eventually came to believe in what he wrote and sold to others as revealed truth. If I had been Hubbard, I would not have been able to convince myself. I suspect most charlatans realize that they have perverted very real, very useful aesthetic instincts to hoodwink large numbers of gullible people into believing and paying. When we stop being artists, and start being money-grubbing pseudo-prophets, the net is down, the ball can go anywhere in the court, and the audience has changed. This audience knows so little, and cares so little about the truth, that it oohs and aahs at every random serve, every double bounce, every net ball. It does not perceive the difference between an earned point and a flub. The charlatan on the court smiles and receives applause for all. That's not our audience. That's not my game."
From Joe Boyd, quoted in A Mind-Bending Experience in 1997 about Rose Simpson (Singer - Incredible String Band):
"Rose left LRH's cohorts behind years ago and, in her present capacity as mayoress of Aberystwyth, revealed in a recent interview how Scientology had narrowed the band's view of the world and how damaging that had been to their music."
And a great catch by our good friend Arnie Lerma:
"Sunday Nights episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 had a hilarious Scientology Reference... During one scene of Sunday nights show, the 'hero' of the movie walks out of a bar and is jumped by a couple of thugs who proceed to beat him up. The commentary, as he's attacked is, 'LET US INTRODUCE YOU TO SCIENTOLOGY!'" - Mike The Flexing Rectum Rinder . "A picture of a Volcano appears in the old movie being shown, one of the fellows says: 'Oh wow, man, D-ann-ett-ics....' Next guy sez: 'See Page 57, how to get more money out of Tom Cruise..."
Joe Kevany (Comedian):
Some L.A. schools were found to be using textbooks by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, says Joe Kevany. "The methods seem to be working. Several of the students now want to start their own religions when they grow up." - LA Times 4.8.1997
"I'm afraid he went crazy and turned a lot of other people crazy." [Arthur C. Clarke talking about L Ron Hubbard, KFYI radio, Phoenix Arizona 8-9 pm show 1/24/04]
And to the Celebrities who have started on their recovery, Jason Beghe, Paul Haggis, Katie Holmes, and Nazanin Boniadi, welcome back to the real world.
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