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 We’re very happy to see a small publication like the Santa Clarita Express in Southern California expose a Scientology front group for what it is. Reporter Melissa Lampert revealed in her Thursday story that the local branch of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office will be offering a class put on by the Foundation for a Drug-Free World for teens in September. We hope that kind of pressure makes the Sheriff’s Office think about whether it really wants to get into bed with Scientology.
Continue reading Why is the press so timid about outing Scientology’s many front groups?
 We’ve provided a lot of detailed, step-by-step coverage of numerous lawsuits involving the Church of Scientology in recent years. They tend to involve large dollar amounts (as in the case of the Garcias, who say they were defrauded of about $440,000), or years of abuse (as in the case of Laura DeCrescenzo), or major legal maneuvers from Scientology’s top officials and lawyers (as in the case of Monique Rathbun’s harassment suit in Texas).
But today we have something on the other end of the scale. A legal action involving a modest request for a refund that took place this week in a Phoenix small claims court, and which once again proved how Scientology has US courts tied up in knots because of the draconian nature of the contracts it makes members sign. Continue reading How Scientology sets up its members to find themselves helpless in court
 Jaden, Willow, Jada, and Will Smith, from a 2010 BBC appearance You may have run across a very confusing story about Scientology, Will and Jada Smith, and a “refund” that spun out across tabloid news websites yesterday. Like lemmings, many sites simply repeated what started with a RadarOnline story claiming that tax records showed Will and Jada had received a $1.2 million refund from a “church-affiliated” school which shut down in 2013. Continue reading Um, about that story claiming Will Smith got a ‘refund’ from his broke-ass shuttered school…
 Hey, we’re still recovering from last night’s wild time in London. Thankfully, Aaron Smith-Levin has sent over a couple of new videos interview Nick Lister in their series, “Growing Up In Scientology.” We’ll let Aaron introduce them…
Continue reading What really happens at a Scientology rehab? Nick Lister dishes on the Narconon experience
 We’ve greatly enjoyed the new Freedom magazine. Scientology’s propaganda outlet used to be a lot wackier and in its own way was screamingly funny. For several years it came out only about once a year, and when it did, it was a doozy — issues slammed Marty Rathbun for running his own “cult” (A Posse of Lunatics), or went after Lawrence Wright, Paul Haggis, and The New Yorker (What a Load of Balderdash).
The writing in those issues was slimy and hilarious, and it was quite clear that it had been done to Scientology leader David Miscavige’s exacting standards of ridicule. But then, after about a year with no issues, Freedom reappeared a year ago after a new staff had been assembled in Los Angeles. This new incarnation of Freedom is very entertaining in its earnestness. Continue reading Scientology’s Freedom magazine congratulates itself for going ‘Ideal’
 Another setback for the Garcias, and this one seems to leave little else for them to do but to submit to Scientology’s internal arbitration scheme.
As we told you earlier, Luis and Rocio Garcia appealed the ruling by federal Judge James Whittemore granting Scientology’s motion to compel the Garcias to use the church’s arbitration process — even though Whittemore himself admitted that there was significant evidence that the arbitration scheme was a sham and didn’t exist. Continue reading Garcias’ appeal rejected; now the couple faces the real possibility of Scientology arbitration
 We recently saw Jesse Prince in Toronto, and we were struck by how healthy he looked. If you’ve followed his blog, you know that the former high-ranking Scientology executive struggled through cancer treatments which at one point had nearly destroyed his spine. But now, he’s looking great, and he’s back on the scene. He sat down with frequent contributor Jeffrey Augustine recently to talk about his days working at Scientology’s secretive international headquarters. We asked Jeff for a synopsis, and he sent us this…
Continue reading When Jesse Prince sec-checked David Miscavige: A Scientology interrogation for the ages
 Recently, members of the Underground Bunker community helped our friend and researcher extraordinaire R.M. Seibert get her hands on some documents regarding a Narconon facility in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The facility, which cleverly calls itself “A Life Worth Living” so it doesn’t carry the (tainted) Narconon brand, is one of many that is being sued by attorney Ryan Hamilton for operating in a deceptive manner. Continue reading Fresh DOX: Police calls to the Narconon in Fort Collins, Colorado — unedited and unread!
 We’ll never forget when we got the message from Karen de la Carriere in July 2012. She had found out — through the help of Aaron Smith-Levin, we now have learned — that her son, Alexander Jentzsch, had suddenly died at 27.
Alex was not only Karen’s son, but also the son of Heber Jentzsch, who is still the nominal president of the Church of Scientology International (pictured, right). Continue reading The Church of Scientology’s forgotten president: Karen de la Carriere on Heber Jentzsch
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We’re very happy to see a small publication like the Santa Clarita Express in Southern California expose a Scientology front group for what it is. Reporter Melissa Lampert revealed in her Thursday story that the local branch of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office will be offering a class put on by the Foundation for a Drug-Free World for teens in September. We hope that kind of pressure makes the Sheriff’s Office think about whether it really wants to get into bed with Scientology.
