Scientology will try to force Jane Doe in Miami child abuse case into ‘religious arbitration’

 
On April 20, Scientology will attempt to convince a Miami judge that a woman who says she was sexually molested while working as a child in its churches has no right to sue in court, but should be required to take her complaints to an internal “religious arbitration” panel made up exclusively of Church of Scientology members.

Twice before, Scientology has successfully convinced courts that its former members are obligated to take their grievances to religious arbitration: first, in the case of fraud claims raised by a California couple, and more recently in the case of Leah Remini’s assistant, Valerie Haney, who says she was held against her will while working in the Sea Org, and then was subjected to stalking and slander for coming forward with her story.

But can Scientology also convince a court that a woman with child molestation claims is merely another religious contract dispute?

Jane Doe filed her lawsuit on September 18 in Miami, even though the incidents alleged in the complaint took place on the other side of the Florida peninsula in Clearwater, and also in Venezuela. (Scientology has already filed motions objecting to the lawsuit being filed in Miami, which appears to have no connection to the case except that Scientology has an “Ideal Org” there.)

As a kindergarten student at the Scientology school Clearwater Academy International, Jane Doe says she was repeatedly abused by an employee that included…

…Multiple instances when the employee forced Jane Doe and other young girls to perform sexual acts on each other;
b. Multiple instances when the employee masturbated in the presence of Jane Doe and ejaculated on Jane Doe; and
c. At least once instance when the employee forced his penis into Jane Doe’s mouth.
61. Jane Doe reported this abuse to other employees of Clearwater Academy on multiple occasions and no action was taken to remove the employee from the school.

At 11, she was sent to a Scientology org in Venezuela without her parents and then she was sexually abused there when she was 12 by another employee, the son of a wealthy Scientology donor. When she complained, she says, she was punished rather than her attacker.

After returning to Clearwater, at 14 she joined Scientology’s Sea Org, and then was sexually abused by her female supervisor, she claims.

And it was because of Scientology’s underlying philosophies, the complaint alleges, which prohibited contacting civil authorities when such crimes come to light, and which focus blame on the victims, that prevented the institutions from protecting Jane Doe.

When she began to speak publicly about her experiences in 2018 after leaving the church, she says, she was then subjected to a Scientology “Fair Game” campaign of harassment.

But Scientology will argue, as it has in the other lawsuits, that because Jane Doe signed religious contracts with the church, she is obliged to take any dispute — even those that arose after she left the organization — to its internal religious arbitration, to be heard by a panel of three Scientologists in good standing.

That’s inherently unfair, but it didn’t seem to matter in Valerie Haney’s case. Will it matter in the lawsuit brought by Danny Masterson’s victims, when arbitration motions are heard on March 27? Or in Jane Doe’s case in Miami on April 20?

We still haven’t heard from Brian Kent, the lead attorney in the national legal team that filed these lawsuits. We had sent him a message asking how they might approach things after the decision in Haney’s lawsuit. We also sent a message to Ricardo Martinez-Cid, the Miami attorney in the legal team who submitted Jane Doe’s lawsuit. We’ll let you know if he gets back to us.

 
——————–

Bonus items from our tipsters

Never a dull moment.

 
——————–

Source Code

“Evidently, it’s practically an affront not to be able to find out about something. Any time you want to go around wearing a bath towel with a Woolworth diamond on it and be a swami reading people’s minds, also take out a large insurance policy and get your burial arrangements straight. It’s probably why they hung Christ, if they did. That’s right. That’s right. If he was the Son of God, he should have been able to find out about all the orthodox malpractices. And he didn’t. And they hung him. They didn’t hung him. They crucified him. Common practice of the day. If he existed. It isn’t true that he led a good life, so they crucified him. You see, that wouldn’t be the right story. He should have found out about ’em and he didn’t, so you see they had to crucify him and that’s just about the way it would be. Now, if you go around telling everybody you can read their minds — I know this might get you lots of PCs for a little while — be sure at the same time that you go down to the Bide-a-Wee Cemetery and get yourself a nice quiet lot because probably you won’t have time a little while later. It’s very hard to buy a lot when you haven’t got a body to pull money out of the pockets of. But that’s about how it is, you see?” — L. Ron Hubbard, February 7, 1962

 
——————–

Overheard in the FreeZone

“Given the current athmosphere in the world against the family and the push for the sodomite agenda, it is not hard to predict that some people might discard or ban from LRH books any reference to homosexuality, including the descriptions of the 1.1 tone level in ‘Science of Survival’ as regards ‘sexuality’ and ‘procreation.’ My intention is to demonstrate how those quotes (the dangerousness of the 1.1 tone level as regards to sexuality and procreation) are more valid today than any time in human history.”

 
——————–

Random Howdy

“The 49ers sucked so bad I was forced to turn to punk rock and hard drugs for entertainment. It’s all John Brodie and Scientology’s fault.”

 
——————–

Start making your plans…

 
Head over to the convention website and meet us in St. Louis!

 
——————–

Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!

We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.

Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!

Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!

Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!

Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?

 
——————–

THE WHOLE TRACK

[ONE year ago] Scientology’s social media effort tries so hard to distract you from what’s really going on
[TWO years ago] Scientology officials from around the globe called to Florida for news of ‘Scientology TV’
[THREE years ago] Great moments in Scientology journalism: When Alex Mitchell blew the lid off ‘Babalon Working’
[FOUR years ago] Yes, that was a Scientology ad you saw during the Super Bowl. Here’s what’s in it.
[FIVE years ago] An L. Ron Hubbard island fantasy: The Scientology daydream you haven’t heard
[SIX years ago] REPORT: Man was hired to keep Shelly Miscavige from escaping Scientology base near L.A.
[SEVEN years ago] Jenna Miscavige Hill Continues Her Media Blitz; More Scientology News in Thursday Roundup
[EIGHT years ago] 5 Biggest Lies in Scientology’s 2-Minute TV Ad
[NINE years ago] Scientology in The New Yorker: Lawrence Wright Buries L. Ron Hubbard For Good

 
——————–

——————–

Posted by Tony Ortega on February 7, 2020 at 07:00

E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post 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 new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.

The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2018 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2018), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)

Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | 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 | Shelly Miscavige, 14 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 | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ

Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…

Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.

Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele