We talked yesterday with David Keesling, the attorney who is representing the National Association of Forensic Counselors. In 2014 the NAFC filed a massive, complex, and highly technical lawsuit against the Church of Scientology, its leader David Miscavige, and 80 other defendants associated with Scientology’s drug rehab network, Narconon.
The NAFC accused Scientology of misusing the NAFC’s trademarks in a conspiracy aimed at making Narconon appear more legitimate than it actually is. NAFC president Karla Taylor initiated the lawsuit after she learned from former Narconon employees Lucas Catton and Eric Tenorio allegations that NAFC certifications for individual drug counselors were fraudulently obtained, and that Narconon’s websites misleadingly made use of the NAFC’s logo.
Some of the defendants in the original lawsuit, including Miscavige, have managed to get themselves dropped from the suit. But as we explained earlier, Keesling plans to make Miscavige a defendant again in a refiled version of the lawsuit in a new venue. (The original lawsuit was filed in Oklahoma, where Scientology’s flagship rehab center, Narconon Arrowhead, is located. Keesling says Miscavige will be a defendant in a version of the lawsuit filed in Indiana, where the NAFC is located.)
The original lawsuit now has an October 4 trial date in Oklahoma, and although Miscavige is no longer a defendant in it, both sides recently filed the lists of witnesses they plan to call during the trial, and on the list Keesling submitted for the NAFC, one of the names was David Miscavige.
“Yeah, why not? I need his testimony,” Keesling said when we asked him about it.
And if Miscavige fails to show?
“Then they have a discovery problem. We’ll sue them in Los Angeles if we need to,” he responded.
Keesling says that attorneys for both sides are currently in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the pre-trial action picks up. “We’ll be in depositions from now to August,” he says.
Scientology’s strategy in the lawsuit has been to attack the NAFC and its credibility as a licensing body. Which is interesting, since Scientology had for years held up the NAFC and its certifications on its rehab websites.
In fact, at one point Scientology had such a high opinion of NAFC, it tried to buy the company, Keesling says.
“I’m anxious to ask Miscavige about their effort to purchase NAFC,” he says. In 2005 or 2006, he explains, a Scientology agent approached Karla Taylor about the idea. “They offered to fly her out to the Celebrity Centre to meet celebrities and said they’d treat her like a superstar.”
Well, we’d certainly like to see David Miscavige answer questions about that on the witness stand in Muskogee in October. Now that’s a trip we’d be happy to make.
Here’s NAFC’s witness list…
NAFC v. Narconon: Plaintiff's Witness List
Here’s Narconon’s witness list…
NAFC v. Narconon: Defense Witness List
——————–
Bonus items from our tipsters
Meanwhile, in Israel…
And in Quito, Ecuador…
Thanks to Pete Griffiths for spotting this gem…
——————–
HowdyCon update
We continue to hear from people who are planning to attend HowdyCon next week, and in particular our Saturday night dinner which will be the main event. If you plan to attend the dinner and haven’t notified us yet, please do so we can get an accurate head count. Just drop us a line at tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com.
——————–
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on June 7, 2016 at 07:00
E-mail tips and story ideas to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We post behind-the-scenes updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information about the book, and our 2015 book tour, can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | Scientology’s Private Dancer | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | Scientology boasts about assistance from Google | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Our Guide to Alex Gibney’s film ‘Going Clear,’ and our pages about its principal figures…
Jason Beghe | Tom DeVocht | Sara Goldberg | Paul Haggis | Mark “Marty” Rathbun | Mike Rinder | Spanky Taylor | Hana Whitfield
