Judge denies Valerie Haney do-over after Scientology’s appellate loss in Masterson suit

 
After an appeals court’s stunning January put-down of Scientology’s “religious arbitration” strategy in the lawsuit brought by Danny Masterson’s rape accusers, Valerie Haney was hoping Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Richard Burdge Jr would reconsider his ruling in her lawsuit, which was also derailed by Scientology’s arbitration gambit.

But yesterday Burdge denied Valerie’s latest request that he reconsider his 2020 ruling. So she’s still facing the prospect of having to take her allegations of kidnapping, stalking, and libel to Scientology’s internal justice court, and with Scientologists as arbitrators.

Valerie’s was the first of three lawsuits that were filed in 2019 against Scientology by a nationally known legal team. She alleged that she had been held against her will as a Sea Org worker until she managed to escape from Gold Base near Hemet, California in 2016 by hiding in the trunk of an actor’s car.

She then went to work for Leah Remini and appeared as the most surprising guest of Leah’s third and final season of her A&E series “Scientology and the Aftermath.” In her lawsuit, Valerie alleges that Scientology subjected her to a scary stalking and harassment campaign because of her work with Leah, and it libeled her with sexual smears on Internet sites.

But Judge Burdge sided with Scientology, which argued that while she was employed with the church, Valerie had signed contracts that obliged her to take any grievance to its own internal brand of religious arbitration (not independent arbitration), and which Scientology sets all the rules for. Luis and Rocio Garcia went through such an arbitration when their 2013 lawsuit was similarly derailed. They said they were unable to have an attorney with them, ninety percent of the evidence they brought wasn’t allowed, and they weren’t allowed a transcript. Luis described the proceeding as a bad joke. (They had been suing for hundreds of thousands, and Scientology’s arbitration panel offered about $18,000. The Garcias refused it and appealed the ruling that forced them into arbitration, but the ruling was upheld by the Eleventh Circuit.)

The lawsuit filed by Danny Masterson’s rape accusers against Scientology and Masterson for harassing them after they came forward to the LAPD was also forced into arbitration, in a ruling by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Steven Kleifield. But then last year the California state supreme court made the surprising decision to intervene in the case, and asked an appellate court to handle it. In January that appellate court made its stunning decision, overturning Kleifield’s ruling and freeing the Masterson accusers from having to submit to Scientology arbitration. They reasoned that the harassment Scientology subjected them to occurred after these former Scientologists had left the church, so the contracts no longer applied.

We have pointed out in the past that Valerie’s case is more complex, because she’s alleging harm by Scientology both during and after her church employment. But she had hoped that the ruling in the Masterson lawsuit might convince Judge Burdge to reconsider his ruling in her case. Scientology’s attorneys pointed out, however, that the decision in the Masterson lawsuit remains unpublished by the court (the state supreme court is currently considering whether to change that) and Judge Burdge agreed with that argument.

“Because the motion solely relies on an unpublished court opinion, Plaintiff does not present any law that may be relied on by this court,” reads the tentative order written by Scientology’s attorneys that the judge signed off on.

Will Valerie now try some sort of petition to an appeals court, which she already tried last year, or submit to Scientology arbitration? We’ll try to find out.

 
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The Golden age of Admin is here!

On December 30, our Insider, a source still in the church but telling us about Scientology’s dire situation after two years of the pandemic, told us that David Miscavige was trying to revive things with another technology upgrade.

This time, it would be a “Golden Age of Admin,” the Insider said.

Scientology is undergoing yet another “evolution of technology” in the form of the “Golden Age of Admin.” Basically, it’s an overhaul of all the administration policy written by L Ron Hubbard, as well as the release of new courses and programs….

Admin in Scientology means “administration,” which is to say, all the procedures and technology related to the running of organizations, as written by L Ron Hubbard. So what GAT II was for technology, The Golden Age of Admin is for administrative procedure.

It’s a BIG DEAL. Probably the biggest deal in Scientology. Everyone is anxiously awaiting the release. Many are hoping it will right the wrongs of the last two years. It surely won’t. It may shift the focus, but the abuse will continue in a different fashion….

Miscavige is personally running the program. He is at Flag overseeing, and of course micromanaging, every aspect of it.

Yesterday, we heard from the Insider again, who told us that his prediction had come true, and the Golden Age of Admin is now being released at the Flag Land Base.

The “Golden Age of Admin” was just released. There was a local event, held at Flag. The release has has not yet been broadly announced.

The new materials released are incredibly underwhelming. This is not enough for Miscavige to save face for the last two years of torment. If anything, I see this as yet another step toward total collapse.

The last release, the GAT II event, was a massive deal. In Class V orgs, more people showed up to that event than any before or since.

DM has since claimed “unparalleled levels of expansion” year over year ever since; of course due to him personally releasing GAT II.

On the other hand, the GAA release is a local event, held at Flag and not even promoted to all Scientologists.

This clear contradiction may be the thing which causes many currently in Scientology to do the one thing that must not be done: ask questions.

That leads to leaving Scientology.

 
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Source Code

“I had a number of US Senators interested in this. As a matter of fact I had the senate dining room one day — I had lots of friends down there in those days, still would have if I went down and stuck my nose in. Every time I do, why they all say, ‘Hey, Ron! Where the hell have you been?’ you know. ‘What’s the matter, you mad at me?’ Something like that. I’d say, ‘Oh, I’ve been busy.’ And I had the senate dining room down there one noon, I remember, along about this period [in 1950]. And you could have heard a toothpick fall from one end of it to the other….I was telling them somebody had found the dynamic principle of existence and I was telling people what it was and so forth. And that place was jammed from one corner to the other with senators and so forth. The next thing you know the table outside of the perimeter of the table I was sitting at with three or four old senators and the table outside that went silent and the table outside that went silent and the table outside that went silent and the next thing you know there wasn’t anything happening in that dining room. The waiters were standing there, see. Darnedest thing you ever wanted to see, you know! And I said, ‘Gee!’ I said, ‘I’ve got a bear by the tail here, you know.’ That was actually before anything much had occurred. They had never heard of this book or anything.” — L. Ron Hubbard, March 16, 1965

 
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Avast, Ye Mateys

“The Apollo is to be in all respects ready for the sea and all port cycles closed by 5:00 PM 18 Mar 69. The civil ‘Nomarch’ of Corfu on irregular lines verbally has ordered our departure in 24 hours despite any unreadiness and without concluding our gyro or safety inspection. We have been given no reason. There may be a connection with the visit of US vessels last week which had a report via their naval attache that we made troops desert. There is no damage really as the AOSH Greece had not really opened and is being reopened at once in Denmark. The situation is under control. There is no danger.” — The Commodore, March 16, 1969

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“If I focus on the whole or being one with all, I can encompass all the possibilities. If I focus on ‘me’ or ‘I,’ it seems as if I can also see myself as whole or of component parts such as different types of identities. It is similar to seeing a car. One calls it a car to sum up all the components. Same is with a body. We can look at the planet and say, it is a planet but it is composed of billions and billions of parts and pieces. Same as expanding out even further, and labeling all as One. But, what would you call it other than the One or main thetan or God?”

 
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Past is Prologue

1997: The St. Petersburg Times reported perhaps the first beneficiary of the publicity on the Lisa McPherson case. “A barefoot woman ran between two Church of Scientology buildings early Saturday before jumping into Clearwater Harbor, where police took her into protective custody for a psychiatric evaluation. As the incident unfolded over more than three city blocks downtown, a patrol officer tried twice to ask the woman if she needed help, police said. They said she and a Church of Scientology security guard behind her kept running and eventually she was found by police in shallow Clearwater Harbor. The woman, a 36-year-old Scientologist visiting from New Jersey, told Clearwater police she was not trying to get away from the church or church officials during her pre-dawn sprint through downtown. Police said the woman appeared distraught and was admitted to Morton Plant Hospital under the Baker Act, which empowers officers to seek mental evaluations for people who appear likely to harm themselves or others. The woman’s two children, estimated to be ages 2 and 7, were found sleeping in her room on the seventh floor of Scientology’s Fort Harrison Hotel, said police spokesman Wayne Shelor, who refused to release the woman’s name. He said the children were fine and were in the custody of the state Department of Children and Families.”

 
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Random Howdy

“Before today I considered Miscavige a cynical manipulating sociopath, and they’re a dime a dozen. Now he seems to be more the dangerously insane Idi Amin-style dictator. This doesn’t bode well for the future.”

 
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker

Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Next pretrial conference May 31. Trial scheduled for August 29.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Last hearing was on January 18, referred to grand jury. Additional charges also referred to grand jury after January 5 assault while in jail.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay sentenced to 9 years in prison. Jeff’s sentencing to be scheduled.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Pretrial conference March 25 in Los Angeles
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud: Next pretrial conference set for April 8.
— Joseph ‘Ben’ Barton, Medicare fraud: Pleaded guilty, awaiting sentencing.

Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Eleventh Circuit affirmed ruling granting Scientology’s motion for arbitration. Garcias considering next move.
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Valerie’s motion for reconsideration denied on March 15.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Appellate court removes requirement of arbitration on January 19, case remanded back to Superior Court. Scientology has said it will file an anti-SLAPP motion.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Third amended complaint filed, trial set for June 28.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, Cannane victorious, awarded court costs. Appeal hearing held Aug 23-27. Awaiting a ruling.
— Chiropractors Steve Peyroux and Brent Detelich, stem cell fraud: Lawsuit filed by the FTC and state of Georgia in August, now in discovery phase.

 
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THE PROSECUTION OF DANNY MASTERSON

We first broke the news of the LAPD’s investigation of Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson on rape allegations in 2017, and we’ve been covering the story every step of the way since then. At this page we’ve collected our most important links, including our four days in Los Angeles covering the preliminary hearing and its ruling, which has Danny facing trial and the potential sentence of 45 years to life in prison.

SCIENTOLOGY: FAIR GAME

After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.

LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH

An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.

SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z

Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!

 
Other links: SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks. Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. 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 a weekly series. How many have you read?

 
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THE WHOLE TRACK

[ONE year ago] Scientology goes after Mike Rinder with a document he gave only to Marty Rathbun
[TWO years ago] To help us get through the pandemic, L. Ron Hubbard’s words of Scientology wisdom
[THREE years ago] Miss America organization says it’s looking into Scientology’s use of Miss New York
[FOUR years ago] Hey, IRS: You might want to look at this new photo Scientology posted of David Miscavige
[FIVE years ago] Understanding Marty Rathbun: For the first time, his full deposition of 2014
[SIX years ago] Ron Miscavige book out in May: ‘Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me’
[SEVEN years ago] Mareka Brousseau on the degradations of Scientology’s Sea Org life
[EIGHT years ago] With Scientology’s ‘disconnection’ policy finally hitting the mainstream, here’s more to consider
[NINE years ago] Xenu the The Movie Star! When Scientology Almost Revealed Its Secrets on the Big Screen
[TEN years ago] Scientology on the High Seas: Hubbard Claims Victory Over the U.S. Navy

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on March 16, 2022 at 07:00

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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, 1995-2021 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2021), 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, 15 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…

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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

 

Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast