Link to full article in the Oklahoman. I hope the link works. http://www.oklahoman.com/article/55...fZQVs_EQUALS_&showPassword=true&newPurchase=1
Scientology-backed drug rehab operates despite deaths there | The Associated Press Quote: A Church of Scientology-backed drug rehabilitation program in southeastern Oklahoma where four clients died continues to operate because of a loophole in a state law intended to provide more oversight of drug and alcohol rehab centers. Oklahoma enacted Stacy's Law in 2013 after 20-year old Stacy Dawn Murphy died at the Narconon Arrowhead facility of an accidental drug overdose a year earlier. But a loophole in the law lets the facility continue to operate its drug rehabilitation program — certified not as an inpatient treatment program, but as a halfway house, The Oklahoman reported (http://bit.ly/2kfr4d8 ). The exception allows the facility to operate with less state scrutiny. Murphy came to the facility overlooking Lake Eufaula near Arrowhead State Park seeking to beat a heroin addiction in 2012, said her parents, who are suing the facility in civil court for negligence and wrongful death. She was among four patients to die at the facility in three years. Numerous civil lawsuits have been filed against the center, and Narconon Arrowhead has settled many of them under confidential terms. Gary Smith, executive director of Narconon Arrowhead, said the program continues to offer the same services, as a certified halfway house by the state, and says the facility changed its policies since the deaths of the four clients. He didn't elaborate on what policy changes were made. No criminal charges have been filed against the facility in connection with the deaths. "It's a different certification," Smith said. "It's a level of care. We are a drug rehab, like we always have been. Halfway house is a level of care that Oklahoma has for drug rehab programs." Murphy's lawsuit is scheduled for trial later this year in McAlester. Source: http://newsok.com/article/feed/1153822
They sliced a bit out of the source story talking about CARF. CARF has a bullshit "three-year accreditation" where they don't list the start or expiry dates. http://www.carf.org/providerProfile.aspx?cid=18129 I guess that means "accredited so long as they don't kill any more people."
I noticed this little typo in Latinos Health article: Rehab Center Backed By Scientology Still Runs Despite Death Cases Aside from Murphy David Miscavige who died of an overdose, Kevin Vavricka who also died of an overdose just last year, and Karl Tempest who experience seizures also died in the facility due to drug overdose according to the exclusive details acquired by Tony Ortega. http://www.latinoshealth.com/articl...cientology-still-runs-despite-death-cases.htm
Another rehash, bringing more exposure: Scientology-Based Rehab Continues To Operate Despite Slew of Deaths, Lawsuits The controversial program has not been criminally charged for the on-site overdose deaths. By Keri Blakinger, The Fix Quote: When Stacy Dawn Murphy checked into rehab at Narconon Arrowhead in Oklahoma, it seemed like a step in the right direction. The former waitress hoped to kick her heroin habit, and the Pittsburg County facility looked like a good choice, especially given its reported claims of 70% recovery rates. But instead, Murphy died in July 2012 when she overdosed inside the Scientology-based rehab center. A year later, Oklahoma enacted Stacy’s Law to provide better oversight for drug rehabs by criminally punishing facilities that attempt to provide rehabilitation without proper state certification. But after four deaths in three years and a slew of civil lawsuits, somehow the facility is still open — and without that necessary certification. A loophole in the law distinguishes between inpatient facilities — which need the certification — and halfway houses, which need a less stringent kind of certification. But because the facility near Lake Eufaula is certified as the latter, it has been able to escape the watchful eye of state regulation, according to the Associated Press. <snipped> One former client, Colin Henderson, even launched an anti-Narconon Facebook page called Narconon Exposed. “Stacy’s Law should have shut them down,” he said. “They should not be open right now.” Full article: https://www.thefix.com/scientology-based-rehab-continues-operate-despite-slew-deaths-lawsuits
Scientology’s Narconon rehabs haven’t changed in the least, even after dozens of lawsuits By Rod Keller, March 5, 2017 Quote: The Narconon drug rehab facility in Fort Collins, Colorado is known as “A Life Worth Saving.” The former Diamond Crest Assisted Living center was purchased by Narconon in 2008, and the center offers the Scientology program of saunas, megadoses of vitamins, and “TRs” or “training routines.” In 2014 attorney Ryan Hamilton sued the facility on behalf of patients Tyler Mathys and Nikki Mott, claiming that the facility doesn’t provide actual treatment for drug addiction, and that it caused psychological injuries. (The suit was later settled.) No deaths have been reported at the facility, unlike others in the Narconon system. Baltimore resident Joseph Dahdah attended the facility briefly in 2015, and his experience suggests that even after years of patient deaths, government investigations, and dozens of lawsuits, the rehabs are still operating with almost no change at all. I spoke with him and his mother Christine this week and they described the experience. Five years ago Joseph started doing Oxycontin then moved on to heroin. “We sent him to Father Martin Ashley center in [Havre de Grace] Maryland,” says Christine. “He did a 30 day rehab, came home and shortly after that relapsed. He did Kolmac, which is an outpatient program through Shepherd Pratt [hospital in Towson, Maryland]. He relapsed. We then were terrified and desperate, and I went online and found this program. The person I spoke to told me about his previous drug use, and how they went to this Narconon of Fresh Start in Colorado. I thought it was a good idea to get him out of Baltimore because we’re the heroin capital of the country.” The referral line put Christine in touch with Narconon staff member Dan Carmichael. “He called every day, and I told him I’m reading on the Internet that you are Scientologists. He said they were not Scientologists, and they had a great program. My son would be outdoors and hiking and getting a lot of exercise.” She was still unsure about the program until she received a call from a different Narconon staff member, Josh Penn. “He called and told me his story that he had been to 11 different rehabs and this one was the only one that worked. And we were desperate, and Narconon wasn’t covered by insurance so we sent them $31,000.” Joseph arrived at Narconon A Life Worth Saving in 2015. He soon told his mother he wanted to leave. “He said I can’t stay here. There’s not enough food. They send out for pizza or subs every day. There’s not enough milk for cereal in the morning. It’s dirty, they don’t clean anything. It’s run by a bunch of former drug addicts who don’t know anything.” Joseph says, “People were catching rides to Denver to get high, then coming back with drugs. Some of the staff were having sex with the patients.” (Similar allegations of drug use and sex-for-drugs were made in lawsuits at various Narconon facilities in the last few years.) The staff confiscated a Bible sent to Joseph by his grandmother. He also says the staff would wake him up in the middle of the night to ask, “Who sent you here?” The staff suspected him of being a spy sent to investigate the Scientology nature of Narconon. “Mom, I can’t talk to an ashtray for five hours a day,” Joseph told Christine. Commanding an ashtray to stand up or sit down is part of the Scientology process known as TR-8: Tone 40 on an Object. Narconon patients perform many such training routines during their treatment. Narconon hires former patients directly into the same facility to become staff members with little or no training in substance abuse or recovery. Joseph’s stay at A Life Worth Saving was not long. Within two weeks he had been kicked out and the staff dropped off at a homeless shelter. The operator of the shelter told Christine, “We see people here all the time from that place.” He had a staph infection on his arms that he received from his roommate. The roommate had been sent to Narconon on antibiotics, but they were taken from him. His arms were horribly scarred that “looked like he had been in a fire,” says Christine. Narconon Colorado told her, “Your son is a liar and has a bad attitude.” And she says she replied, “Yes, that’s why we sent him there.” Narconon replied that if they were so bad, they wouldn’t still be operating, and that they send people into schools to do drug education programs and are well respected in the community. Christine says she contacted the police. “They said they didn’t have any complaints about Narconon Colorado,” she says. But this is not true. The Fort Collins Police Department has records from 2008-2013 of a variety of incidents at the facility. “We feel like we were scammed into sending money to an organization that was not what they said they were. We spoke to a few lawyers, and they said they were overwhelmed with clients from Narconon. They have cases where people died, or had more severe problems as a result of their stay, and they don’t have the money to take on all the cases that they would like to.” Since coming back to Baltimore Joseph has relapsed several times. He is now in an outpatient program that uses Suboxone, a drug used to treat patients with an addiction to opioids. He lives with his family, who are making sure he takes his meds and make him account for any money he makes. Christine says she will keep working to help her son, but regrets involving him in Scientology and Narconon. Source, and open comments: http://tonyortega.org/2017/03/05/sc...d-in-the-least-even-after-dozens-of-lawsuits/
She ‘graduated’ from Scientology’s drug rehab, which told her she was cured. Now she’s dead. By Rod Keller, April 16, 2017 Quote: My friend Wendy Lee Westling died of a heroin overdose in Reno, Nevada on April 8. Wendy was one of three women I interviewed for the first story I wrote on substance abuse-related deaths among former Narconon staff members. Karl Tempest, Kevin Vavrinka, Tabatha Fauteux, Nathan Dwyer, Jacob Heider, and now Wendy Lee Westling have all relapsed and died after serving as staff members at Scientology’s drug rehab network. She was a Narconon “student” and staff member at the Rainbow Ranch in Caliente, NV and also staff at Narconon South Texas in Harlingen. While every drug treatment program has patients that leave prematurely and relapse, deaths among drug addiction counselors in other programs are more rare. Narconon has lost at least six in the past few years. Outside of Narconon a recovered addict would be clean for years and nearly all take formal education to become a counselor. In Narconon, a patient one day becomes a counselor the next, and drug use is common at some Narconon centers among both patients and staff. As is true with so many addicts, I found out this week that Wendy lied about her addiction. She told me her only addiction was to alcohol, but in speaking to her friends I learned that before and after Narconon she had been addicted to heroin. She used heroin after graduating from the Rainbow Ranch in October 2014, and in desperation turned to the Scientology Purification Rundown program to help her get clean... She also volunteered to help with renovations at the Scientology Mission of the Foothills in Montrose, CA. She turned to Scientology itself because there is no aftercare program in Narconon. Graduates are told they are now cured, and will not experience a craving for drugs or alcohol. They are told the long hours of saunas at Narconon have removed their cravings. The large number of patient and staff deaths doesn’t support that claim. Continued here: http://tonyortega.org/2017/04/16/sh...b-which-told-her-she-was-cured-now-shes-dead/
Scientology denied twice in wrongful death lawsuit as parents grieve for Tabatha Fauteux By Tony Ortega, April 22, 2017 Quote: “There’s nothing we don’t miss about her. She was just a lot of fun. Even when you were having the worst day of your life, she could figure out how to get a smile out of you,” Guy Fauteux told us yesterday about his daughter Tabatha. “It’s the worst. And she was doing so good. She wanted to do so good.” We called him to catch up on what’s been happening in a wrongful death lawsuit that he and his wife Sheila filed against Scientology’s Narconon International and the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE) after Tabatha Fauteux’s heroin overdose in November 2015. You may remember our stories about Tabatha’s death. She had gone through Narconon’s rehab program in Texas and then was hired on staff. She was then flown to Los Angeles with her boyfriend, another Narconon staffer, to receive special training from ABLE on a new change being made to the Narconon counseling regime. While staying in Los Angeles at an apartment paid for by ABLE, Tabatha died of a heroin overdose. Tabatha’s boyfriend told us that fellow Narconon staff had given them “kratom,” an herbal drug that was supposed to deliver a high something like the heroin they had managed to put behind them. But the kratom didn’t really work as advertised, he told us, and only left them craving the real thing. So they started using heroin again, even as they were being trained on Narconon’s anti-drug program. One morning, the boyfriend found Tabatha in the shower, unresponsive. An autopsy confirmed that she died of a heroin overdose. In the wrongful death lawsuit her parents filed in November, the Fauteuxs are alleging that Narconon was negligent in its lax control of the recently graduated “students” of its program, and that they seemed more interested in trying to convince Tabatha to join Scientology than in keeping her sober. Narconon’s attorney, William Forman, jumped on that allegation, filing an anti-SLAPP motion that singled out the lawsuit’s references to proselytizing. Claiming that Narconon and ABLE are “secular,” he denied that Tabatha had been pressured to join Scientology, and even if the proselytizing had happened, it would be activity that is protected by the First Amendment. But Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael J. Raphael issued a ruling that the lawsuit’s allegations of proselytizing aren’t being pointed to as the cause of Tabatha’s death, but they are being offered as evidence that Narconon was negligent in their supervision of Tabatha. Or, as the judge put it: Religious proselytization may be protected conduct under the anti-SLAPP statute in many circumstances. But in this Court’s view, plaintiffs’ claims in this first amended complaint arise from the alleged negligent supervision of plaintiff’s daughter in the training program, and not from protected activity. Judge Raphael denied Narconon’s anti-SLAPP motion. Narconon also filed a motion known as a demurrer, which in general is an admission of the facts but asks that a case be dismissed because it doesn’t meet a legal standard. In this instance, Narconon asked the judge to find that even if Tabatha died while in ABLE training, ABLE didn’t supply her with heroin, and it was Tabatha who injected herself, citing the “unclean hands” doctrine. In other words, they were saying, stop blaming us for her bad or immoral behavior. But Judge Raphael found that there were enough facts stated in the complaint to suggest that negligence could be proven, depending on what facts are presented at court. (He wasn’t saying the Fauteuxs would necessarily win at trial, but there was enough evidence to proceed for the time being.) As for the unclean hands of Tabatha Fauteux, the judge said: Plaintiffs might successfully argue that their daughter’s drug addiction was not morally blameworthy but rather was a morally neutral physical or psychological addiction that she did nothing to bring upon herself. We have to say, that sure seems like a pretty enlightened position for a judge to take. After a hearing was held on March 28, Judge Raphael denied the demurrer. We asked Guy Fauteux how he felt about that, but he admitted that he didn’t even know it had happened. “You’ve told me more about it than I’ve heard!” he said. We put in a call to Gary Richardson, who is representing the Fauteuxs, but he was in a conference and we hope to talk to him soon. He’s scored a couple of impressive victories early in this case, and we’ll be anxious to find out who he plans to depose as it moves forward. It was David Miscavige who ordered the new training program at the Narconon clinics, according to his pronouncements at Scientology events. And it was that new program that brought Tabatha Fauteux to Los Angeles. It might be a long shot to get Miscavige into the witness chair for this case, but it sure would be interesting. DOCUMENTS: Continued at http://tonyortega.org/2017/04/22/sc...awsuit-as-parents-grieve-for-tabatha-fauteux/
That should read, "$cientology Denied Three Times". The court documents posted with Tony O.'s article also show $cientology's Oklahoma attorney Gary Richardson was denied Pro Hac Vice status to represent narCONon in California. Applications were filled out wrong, they weren't submitted to the State Bar as required, and a $50 fee was not paid. Maybe Richardson just wanted an excuse not to travel to California. BigBeard
Hardly. There was some sort of a mix up. The attorney in California, who submitted the application to the court for Gary Richardson,forgot to include the fee. I am surprised that you would say this about Gary Richardson. Perhaps you don't know how many cases he has successfully represented victims of Narconon in Oklahoma? Here is a link discussing some of them BTW, Gary is the attorney for the Fauteux Family and has been all along. It is he who helped locate the CA attorney and coordinated the start the of case. Done all the while fighting Narconon et al's desperate attempts to prevent the start of trial in the Murphy case in Oklahoma.So lets try not mock one of the few but brave attorneys still fighting to help shut down this front group. If you asked Guy Fauteax if he is satisfied with his attorneys and the work they have done thus far, he would no doubt say yes. The anti-slapp matter is one of many hurdles that the attorneys will continue to overcome for this family. Its significance is far more interesting to to us critics than to the average person who has been sucked into Narconon. Believe me, I know. Victims and their loved ones either just want their lawsuit over with as quickly as possible to a win, or their refund back so they can move on so they can forget the nightmare they lived through in dealing with Narconon . Our cause is not necessarily theirs, and they are not beholden to us to have their personal involvement all over the internet. I intentionally did not contact Guy for my article* announcing the lawsuit and it's significance, which I posted the day before Tony's came out. I am not a reporter, but Tony is. I just help get information out on Narconon, like you do. But Narconon Reviews is a site created to document and help educate the public about Narconon. Narconon Reviews staff also feel it is important to first ask the attorney for permission to speak with the plaintiffs if needed, before posting a lawsuit. That way their client is briefed on what should and should not be stated, for the benefit of the case. We didn't need to in order to announce the lawsuit. Besides, we don't want to give Narconon and Scientology anything that can be used to derail the case or weaken the trust between the attorney and plaintiff. So lets not take for granted the efforts of those helping us dismantle Narconon and Scientology. Even those previous attorneys, some of whom are no longer able to put in the time and efforts to help, are the good ones deserving of the benefit of the doubt. There was a time when no attorney would take a Narconon case!! We've come a long way, BigBeard! And you have been important in making that happen ~ Mary *The Fauteux Wrongful Death Lawsuit: Important For Many Reasons
Although there is no mention of Narconon by name, this article is relevant here: Cannon Scientology facilities CLOSED | The Cannon Courier By Mike West, May 3, 2017 Quote: A series of Scientology Church operated facilities have been permanently closed in Cannon County and three suspects charged in the case. "The Cannon County Sheriff's Department would like to make the general public of this county aware that the Scientology facilities are closed and not operating in Cannon County," a statement from the Sheriff's office said. The 16th Judicial District of the state of Tennessee, Cannon County, has charged three suspects in the case. Two of the three, Dennis Flamond and Hans Snyder Lytle, entered guilty pleas in General Sessions Court on two counts of false imprisonment. The third suspect, Marc Vallieres, was charged with two felony charges of facilitation to kidnapping in Circuit Court. Vallieres pleaded "by information" in Circuit Court. Circuit Judge David Bragg ruled in this final disposition of the cases that "all facilities in Cannon County are closed and will not operate any resident facilities in Cannon County, TN." Faculties were discovered on Sunshine Lane and on Sycamore Creek Road. A 911 emergency phone call provided the Sheriff's Office with the opportunity to go inside the facility which they described as a double-wide trailer with several tiny cabins located behind it. "We proceeded up the hill through a gated, makeshift paddock that is secured externally with a steel latch." The officers reported the individual who called them was looking out through a Plexiglas window. "He is locked inside the cabin with no way to remove himself from the building. The caretaker unlocks the door and lets us enter the cabin. "The cabin is bare there is a small pile of sheets in the corner, there are no obvious amenity for life, " the officers reported. The man being held there tells the officers he is being held against his will and is given unknown medications. He explains that he is there to have rehab and get cleansed though Scientology. "He states that he has been there for nine months and is being mistreated and falsely imprisoned and all he wants is to go home." the officers said. The man then shows his room to officers. "It is a small room with a single bed in it, the bed is bare except for a one sheet that he covers up with, his bathroom is the only room with a light." When the officers stepped out of the little cabin, the door is locked back and they return to the double-wide trailer where the caretaker (identified as Dennis Flamond} gives them a history of the person. He also tells them the manager of the facility is currently in Los Angeles undergoing courses. He refuses to give them his contact information. Cannon County Emergency Medical Service is called and officers to get to speak to the manager who is identified is Hans Snyder Lytle. "I explained to him that no one on this facility is a licensed healthcare provider and no one here has power of attorney over him so if he feels that he needs to go to the hospital, then he will have to be transported," Investigator Brandon Gullett said. After transporting him to the Emergency Room, Gullett and Deputy Turney return to the Cannon County Sheriff's Department to begin their investigation. Initially, the officers contact the subject's mother, who lives in Beverly Hills, CA. "We relay to her the events and she is in disbelief, she has never actually seen the facility and is only aware of the conditions from what is available on the Internet, which is presented in an entirely different manner than actual living conditions. After about approximately 15-20 minutes of explaining what is going on there she believes us, and at the time of our last conversation she was getting a plane ticket the next morning for Tennessee," Gullett said. At this point, the officers began to contact all of the appropriate agencies including Adult Protective Services, Sheriff Darrell Young and the District Attorney General. A search warrant is obtained and the hospital is notified about other potential patients. When officers returned to the address on Sycamore Creek with a search warrant for all of the premises, they discovered that the personnel was in the process of packing up and moving out. The locking mechanism was removed from the front gate. During the search of the facility, a female patient was discovered. She was transported to Saint Thomas Stones River Hospital and parents notified. Deputies found the building at 3343 Sycamore Creek road heavily fortified. The officers used a ram to force the door open and several boxes of evidence were discovered, cataloged, photographed and confiscated by Inspector Gullett. Later in the day, officers discovered Hans Lytle following a search at an address on Cedar Crest Lane. He was taken into custody on multiple charges. Source: http://www.cannoncourier.com/cannon-scientology-facilities-closed-cms-16478
Notorious Tennessee Scientology facility shut down when patients found held against their will By Tony Ortega, May 3, 2017 Quote: We’ve written several articles about a highly questionable mental-health facility that was run by Scientologists in rural Tennessee, and now, the local newspaper in Cannon County there reports that operator Marc Vallieres was charged with two felony counts of facilitation of kidnapping after patients were found being held there against their will. The Cannon Courier also reports that the sheriff has announced that the facilities have been shut down. We just confirmed with the Cannon County Circuit Court clerk that the Courier story is correct. The clerk told us Vallieres entered a diversion program and was sentenced to state probation for two years. Two other employees, initially charged with false imprisonment, pled to misdemeanors. “The Cannon County Sheriff’s Department would like to make the general public of this county aware that the Scientology facilities are closed and not operating in Cannon County,” the sheriff stated. <snipped> A notorious house of horrors being run by Scientologists gets shut down when local authorities take the time to find out what’s going on there. It’s amazing, isn’t it? More at http://tonyortega.org/2017/05/03/no...-when-patients-found-held-against-their-will/
Nothing new here, just more exposure: Scientology facilities in Tennessee closed by police By Carrie Wittmer, Business Insider The Cannon County Sheriff’s Department and The Church of Scientology did not immediately respond to Business Insider's requests for comment. http://www.businessinsider.com/scientology-facilities-in-tennessee-closed-2017-5
In response to this article, two comments have been left. Quote: anyoldname1 May 03, 2017 at 5:18pm Good job Cannon County Law Enforcement! You have done what the FBI and others are too afraid to do - save victims of Scientology Kidnapping and Human Trafficking. (See RadarOnline article: "THE PROOF AT LAST: FBI Files Reveal Scientology ‘Human Trafficking’ Investigation" by Melissa Cronin, 05/30/2017.) JustCallMeMary May 04, 2017 at 1:06pm It is very sad that it took this long to get help for that victim, and for a court to intervene and finally shut this and Marc Vallieres' other Scientology based and condoned facilities down. Many, including myself, have made attempts to get these places investigated for holding people against their will and claiming to provide medical care without appropriate licenses. Thank God this brave kidnapped man was able to call 911 and that the local police were able to get in there to save him and the other patient. Please visit narcononreviews(dot)net to get information on Scientology based rehab programs that have been being sold as something they are not. They are dangerous practices, using different names to avoid detection as a Narconon or Scientology program. Read the section in Potential Clients and find out How To Choose a Rehab program, what to ask, where to get licensing verification, what to ask for over the phone, and how to find complaints on the internet when seeking help for a loved one. Don't be duped like the victim's mother was, and so many others are. ~ Mary, Narconon Reviews
Sputnik (news agency) | Wikipedia Quote: Sputnik (Russian pronunciation: [ˈsputʲnʲɪk]; formerly The Voice of Russia) is a news agency, news websites and radio broadcast service established by the Russian government-controlled news agency Rossiya Segodnya.[2] Headquartered in Moscow, Sputnik has regional editorial offices in Washington, Cairo, Beijing, London and Edinburgh. It focuses on global politics and economics and is geared towards a non-Russian audience.[3] Sputnik has been widely accused of bias, disinformation[4] and being a Russian propaganda outlet.[5][6] Continued at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_(news_agency) Two US Scientology Rehab Facilities Shut Down for Holding Patients Prisoner | Sputnik Quote: A pair of Tennessee rehab facilities run by members of the Church of Scientology have been shut down after police discovered that patients there were being held against their will. The facilities in Cannon County came under investigation after police received a 911 call from a man who claimed to be trapped in one of the facilities. When they came to investigate, they found the man locked in a cabin with no way to escape. <snipped> Attorney David Veile, who represents some of the suspects, said that the facility was not run by the Church of Scientology. More at https://sputniknews.com/us/201705051053327860-scientology-rehab-facility-shut-down/
Families of rescued patients are sharply divided on Scientologist-run Tennessee hellhole Tony Ortega: Families of rescued patients are sharply divided on Scientologist-run Tennessee hellhole http://tonyortega.org/2017/05/05/fa...ided-on-scientologist-run-tennessee-hellhole/ * * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * The Underground Bunker has spoken to family members of both of the people who were rescued from a notorious Tennessee mental health facility operated by Scientologists that was raided in February and was subsequently shut down by court order, with three of the Scientologist operators being charged criminally. The brother of the young man who managed to call 911 and attract sheriff’s deputies explained to us how that happened, and he tells us he’s relieved that his brother was rescued and is receiving proper treatment. The brother of the young woman who was also rescued, a Scientologist, denounced the sheriff’s department of Cannon County, and he defended Marc Vallieres, the Scientologist who was charged with two felonies for keeping the patients in cabins that were locked from the outside. “I would say Marc is a saint,” the man tells us. And he has a lot more to say about the situation. * * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *
Tennessee Scientologist charged in kidnapping case Fox 17 Nashville: Tennessee Scientologist charged in kidnapping case http://fox17.com/news/local/tenness...with-facilitation-to-kidnapping-of-two-people * * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * * NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A Scientologist who opened his own 'treatment facility' not affiliated with the church has been indicted for facilitation to kidnapping after two people were allegedly held against their will at the Woodbury facility. Deputies with the Cannon County Sheriff's Office say on February 7th, they responded to a 911 call at the Sunshine Lane facility, primarily made up of cabins and a double-wide trailer. Deputies say a male victim was found locked in a cabin, with no sufficient food or water. The man told deputies he requested to leave the cabin, but was kept from doing so by his caretaker. He also made claims he was subjected to assault. The facility also housed another female victim who made the same claims. Deputies say they found a mentally handicapped woman had also been imprisoned in a padlocked room for up to 14 hours a day with no living standards. * * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *
Secret facilities in Tennessee closed after police find patients held against their will By Chris Jancelewicz, Global News Quote: EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this article stated that the facilities involved in the story were owned and operated by the Church of Scientology. That information was contained in an erroneous statement from the Cannon County Sheriff’s Department. This article has been edited and amended to reflect that the facilities in question were in no way affiliated with the Church of Scientology. Global News regrets the error. Continued at http://globalnews.ca/news/3426629/scientology-facility-closed-tennessee/
Rehab clinic run by a Tennessee Scientologist is shut down after two people were found 'locked in cabins and being held against their will for months' Police permanently shut down a rehab facility being run by a Scientologist in Woodbury, Tennessee this week Authorities found a man and woman allegedly being held there against their will back in February after one of the victims called 911 Marc Vallieres, who ran the Life Center for a New Tomorrow, was arrested on kidnapping charges Two employees Dennis Flamond and Hans Lytle were charged and have already pleaded guilty to false imprisonment The facility is not associated with the Church of Scientology By Emily Crane For Dailymail.com http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ic-run-Tennessee-Scientologist-shut-down.html
Tennessee Scientologist charged for holding people against their will at treatment facility By Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News The operator of several Tennessee facilities claiming to be associated with the Church of Scientology was charged with kidnapping after police discovered two people being held against their will at one of his treatment centers. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...t-charged-felony-kidnapping-article-1.3141894 Tennessee Scientologist Charged in Kidnapping Case | The Daily Beast The facilities were reportedly not officially operated through the Church of Scientology, though police say Vallieres had received training through the church. http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2017/05/06/tn-scientologist-charged-in-kidnapping-case
Scientology facilities closed by police in Tennessee after alleged kidnappings By Tricia Chan, Yahoo Canada News Police in Cannon County, Tenn., have closed several Church of Scientology facilities and charged three men who are affiliated with the religious organization after they found members living in squalor and being held against their will. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/scientolo...-tennessee-alleged-kidnappings-195510670.html
VIDEO: Scientology Facility Shut Down By Police, by The Young Turks * * * * * BEGIN INTRODUCTION * * * * * Scientology Facility Shut Down By Police The Young Turks Published on May 5, 2017 A Scientology facility in Tennessee was shut down and three suspects have been charged. Ana Kasparian, Ben Mankiewicz, and Grace Baldridge, the hosts of The Young Turks, tell you what happened. Tell us what you think in the comment section below. “A group of psychiatric facilities owned and run by the Church of Scientology in Tennessee has been closed after local police found some patients being held against their will. The Cannon Courier, out of Cannon County, Tenn. and nearby the Scientology facilities, reports that the buildings are now permanently closed and three suspects have been charged. “[We] would like to make the general public of [the] county aware that the Scientology facilities are closed and [no longer] operating,” read a statement released by the Cannon County Sheriff’s Department. Police discovered the facilities, which were no more than tiny cabins and one double-wide trailer, concealed in the wilderness and heavily secured. They described the scene as “a gated, makeshift paddock secured externally with a steel latch.” Read more here: http://globalnews.ca/news/3426629/scientology-facility-closed-tennessee/ Hosts: Ana Kasparian, Ben Mankiewicz, Grace Baldridge Cast: Ana Kasparian, Ben Mankiewicz, Grace Baldridge *** The Largest Online News Show in the World. Hosted by Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian. LIVE STREAMING weekdays 6-8pm ET. http://www.tytnetwork.com/live Subscribe to The Young Turks on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=theyoungturks Like The Young Turks on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theyoungturks Follow The Young Turks on Twitter: http://twitter.com/theyoungturks Buy TYT Merch: http://www.shoptyt.com Download audio and video of the full two hour show on-demand + the members-only post game show by becoming a member at http://www.tytnetwork.com/join/. Your membership supports the day to day operations and is vital for our continued success and growth. Young Turk (n), 1. Young progressive or insurgent member of an institution, movement, or political party. 2. A young person who rebels against authority or societal expectations.(American Heritage Dictionary) * * * * * END INTRODUCTION * * * * *
PODCAST: Rob Breakenridge at News Talk 770 talks with Tony Ortega about the Tennessee Scientology false imprisonment case. https://omny.fm/shows/afternoons-with-rob-breakenridge/scientology * * * * * BEGIN INTRODUCTION * * * * * A group of facilities in Tenessee run by the church of Scientology have been closed after some patients have been held there against their will. With editor of the Underground Bunker and Author of the "Unbreakable Miss Lovely" Tony Ortega. * * * * * END INTRODUCTION * * * * *
Mentally handicapped victim kept padlocked in room at Tennessee Scientology ‘treatment center’: Police By Jacquelyn Gray, Crime Online, May 7, 2017 http://www.crimeonline.com/2017/05/...ennessee-scientology-treatment-center-police/
The original story has also had it's heading changed, "Scientology" in the headline changed to "Rehab". The print-friendly version redirects from the original, archived at https://web.archive.org/web/2017050...ientology-facilities-closed-cms-16478-printer to: http://www.cannoncourier.com/cannon-rehab-facilities-closed-cms-16478-printer The first line of the article changed from: "A series of Scientology Church operated facilities have been permanently closed in Cannon County and three suspects charged in the case." to: "A series of rehabilitation facilities have been permanently closed in Cannon County and three suspects charged in the case." and an extra line was added: "Attorney David Veile, representing some of the individuals involved in the case, said the facilities were not operated by the Church of Scientology."
Were these facilities licensed by a scientology corporation? Not exactly the "church" of scientology, but a scientology entity nonetheless.
Scientology CCHR STILL recommends alleged Tennessee false imprisonment facility. HT: http://tonyortega.org/2017/05/05/fa...ided-on-scientologist-run-tennessee-hellhole/ HT: http://tonyortega.org/2015/02/02/th...eatment-of-the-mentally-ill-you-havent-heard/ Code: http://cchroregon.org/alternatives/ ******************************************************
VIDEO: Rehab Center Run By Scientologist Shut Down Video at link. http://www.newschannel5.com/news/rehab-center-run-by-scientologist-shut-down * * * * * BEGIN INTRODUCTION * * * * * Rehab Center Run By Scientologist Shut Down Jason Lamb 7:49 PM, May 8, 2017 2 hours ago WOODBURY, Tenn. - A rehab center in the hills of rural Cannon County has been shut down after a 911 call led investigators to a locked facility. Inside, they found scientologist literature, but more important, investigators said the staff wasn't qualified to care for its patients. The facility was called Life Center for a New Tomorrow. Deputies said they arrived to investigate a 911 hang up there back in February. Inside, deputies said they found someone who said he was being mistreated, falsely imprisoned and treated through scientology. “The workers there, the manager and other staff were scientologists, there was a great deal of scientology paraphernalia found throughout the facilities,” said Trevor Lynch, Assistant District Attorney. Lynch said deputies found two patients there, one of whom had a mental illness, the other was being treated for substance abuse. “This facility was not capable for caring for the individuals it was taking in,” Lynch said. Three people were eventually arrested. Dennis Flamond and Hans Lytle were charged with false imprisonment, and another man, Marc Vallieres was charged with facilitation of kidnapping. All of them pleaded either guilty or a plea that’s similar to no contest, and entered judicial diversion, meaning the charges could be expunged if the three stay out of trouble. The three agreed to shut down the facility they were running. NewsChannel 5 tried contacting the attorney representing the people arrested, but our phone calls were not returned. This was not the first time that Life Center for a New Tomorrow has faced scrutiny. In 2014, the state cited the facility for not having records of background checks or annual training for employees on file, and having residents at the facility that they weren't licensed for, among other violations. * * * * * END INTRODUCTION * * * * *
Scientology CCHR continues to recommend alleged Tennessee False Imprisonment Facility. Following-up on my earlier comment regarding Scientology CCHR Oregon continuing to recommend the alleged Tennessee False Imprisonment Facility (which was based on a link in one of Tony Ortega's earlier posts), I did some Googling and found that the main Scientology CCHR website also continues to recommend the facility: Code: http://www.cchr.org/alternatives/right-to-be-informed.html *********************************************************************************************
Church of Scientology of Nashville praised Tennessee false imprisonment suspect Marc Vallieres. HT: @BothellTweeter Code: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/scientologybeliefs/2012/03/nashville-church-of-scientology-celebrates-its-third-year-anniversary/[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE][SIZE=13px][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#222222]
So the Life Center for a New Tomorrow has been both endorsed by the "church" of scientology and the scientology front group, citizen's commission on human rights. That criminal business would have been licensed by the OSA Int front group ABLE.
On probation and his house of horrors shut down, Tennessee Scientologist talks up Mexico By Tony Ortega, May 11, 2017 Quote: There’s been a lot of press coverage, much of it confused, about a collection of mental health facilities in Cannon County, Tennessee that was run by Scientologists and was housing people who were being held against their will. The Cannon County Sheriff’s department recently released a couple of incident reports about a 911 call on February 7 that led them to discover the first victim, a mentally ill 24-year-old man from Beverly Hills, California who was being held in a cabin that had “no obvious amenities for life” except for some sheets, and that was padlocked from the outside. It was the schizophrenic young man who had made the 911 call, and he was rescued by the deputies. Later the deputies returned and found a 48-year-old woman being held in another cabin, and they arrested two caretakers, Hans Snyder Lytle and Denis Flamand (not Flamond, as the press has it), who pleaded to false imprisonment misdemeanors and got a year’s probation. The owner and manager of the the facilities, collectively known as Life Center For A New Tomorrow, is longtime Scientologist Marc Vallieres. He was charged with two felony counts of facilitation of kidnapping. The Cannon County circuit court clerk told us that Vallieres was allowed to enter a diversion program and was sentenced to two years of state probation. But that apparently hasn’t stopped Vallieres’ ambition to offer Scientologists an alternative to psychiatric care for their loved ones who are “Type 3” — Scientology jargon for people with psychoses. According to Facebook postings to private groups maintained by fellow Church of Scientology members, Vallieres says he has been operating his Life Center in Tennessee for 15 years, and has tried numerous times to expand it. From our previous reporting, we know that Vallieres had worked directly with the Church of Scientology to offer a place where members could be sent for Scientology methods of treating the mentally ill. We wrote about a severely ill woman who made two runs for freedom from Life Center before she was taken to Arkansas and was held in a basement for a year until she was rescued. Another woman, Barbara Cordova Oliver, was a fixture at Scientology’s Hollywood Celebrity Center who had a nervous breakdown and was sent by her husband to Life Center. When we called Vallieres and asked him about Barbara’s condition, he referred us to the Celebrity Centre. And there are other connections linking Vallieres and the church itself. In 2013, Church of Scientology spokeswoman Karin Pouw put out a press release praising Vallieres for his work getting Scientology’s views on drug abuse into local schools. Even today, Scientology front group Citizens Commission for Human Rights recommends Life Center For A New Tomorrow as an alternative to psychiatric care. We asked former Scientology spokesman Mike Rinder about Vallieres, and he told us that there was no question that the church was aware of what Vallieres was doing, and approved of it. Continued at http://tonyortega.org/2017/05/11/on...down-tennessee-scientologist-talks-up-mexico/
Settled: The Stacy Dawn Murphy Negligence and Wrongful Death Lawsuit | Narconon Reviews By Mary McConnell, May 17, 2017 Quote: We’ve learned today that the parents and estate of Stacy Dawn Murphy have settled their lawsuit on the eve of trial against Narconon of Oklahoma and others for their acts and omissions in the 2012 wrongful, negligent death of their daughter Stacy. The lawsuit, Robert Murphy and Tonya White, individually and as Natural Parents and Next of Kin of Stacy Dawn Murphy, deceased v. Narconon of Oklahoma d/b/a Narconon Arrowhead; Narconon International; Association for Better Living and Education International (ABLE); Gerald D. Wootan, DO, M.Ed, can be found here. Stacy’s death was among a string of negligent deaths at Narconon Arrowhead in Oklahoma during a 3-year period beginning in 2009. The deaths, and the Scientology based Narconon program that contributed to them, were reported on on our sister site Reaching For The Tipping Point Forum, over at journalist Tony Ortega’s Underground Bunker and spotlighted in a highly regarded 2012 National prime time episode of Brian William’s Rock Center. There was hope by many that this case would get to trial. There was every indication that it was going to trial this week, until it wasn’t. We wrote in January 2017 that this was the plan. However, settlements are not infrequent. We understand the toll it takes on a family to have to keep fighting for justice with such a lawsuit. We asked the their attorney, Gary L. Richardson, of Richardson Richardson Boudreaux, PLLC in Tulsa, OK, to confirm that a settlement had taken place, and provide us a comment we could share with readers here. He obliged. “Yes, the case was officially settled by mutual consent of all parties.” “5 years. It’s time for some healing to begin. Peace is what we all seek.” Perhaps justice has been served for Stacy with a settlement. We will never know the details of that settlement and that’s okay. We are used to that with Narconon cases. They have their attorneys fight like a pack of wild dogs to prevent cases going to trial, and can make lawsuits go on forever. 5 years is a long time, but much headway was made in exposing with was going on at Narconon Arrowhead. As long as the Murphy and White families are okay about settling, we should be, too. Let’s hope Stacy’s loved ones find some peace from all this. Continued at http://narcononreviews.net/narconon...murphy-negligence-and-wrongful-death-lawsuit/
On eve of trial, Stacy Murphy wrongful death lawsuit settles By Tony Ortega, May 18, 2017 Quote: Oklahoma attorney Gary Richardson has settled another Narconon lawsuit without any of the evidence he gathered in discovery getting out to the public. Stacy Murphy was a 20-year-old “student” at Scientology’s flagship rehab facility, Narconon Arrowhead, who managed to obtain drugs on a home visit. When she returned to the Narconon facility, she went into an overdose and died on July 19, 2012. Her death was the third at the facility in only nine months, and it resulted in some intense press coverage at the time. Less than a year later NBC’s Rock Center highlighted the problems at the Narconon center, while lawsuits against other Narconon rehabs proliferated. Richardson handled the wrongful death lawsuits of all three of the patients who had died at Narconon Arrowhead in that nine-month period — Gabriel Graves, Hillary Holten, and Stacy Murphy. All of them have settled, and in the meantime there has been no disciplinary action of any kind taken against the facility. Several times when we spoke to Richardson about these cases, he told us that he was getting “fantastic” material in the depositions he was taking. But that evidence, as well as a state investigation that reportedly recommended that the Narconon center be closed down, never saw the light of day while the lawsuits were active. Continued at http://tonyortega.org/2017/05/18/to...g-2-hour-leah-remini-special-on-memorial-day/
Australian senator goes after Narconon By Tony Ortega, May 20, 2017 Quote: If you’re a regular Underground Bunker reader, you will find the allegations about Scientology’s drug rehab network Narconon in this Australian report very familiar — that it’s really delivering Scientology training, not drug counseling; its staff is made up of former addicts, not medical personnel; and that the facilities are accused of lax security and worse, making them dangerous places for people trying to recover from drug abuse. But what we especially liked to see was the statement by independent Australian senator Nick Xenophon, who criticized the Victorian state government for leasing land to the Scientology rehab outside of Melbourne: Independent Senator Nick Xenophon wants Narconon shut down and has slammed the Victorian Government for leasing public land to the Scientology-backed company.“What’s happening at Narconon highlights the fact that there is inadequate regulation or no regulation when it comes to treating people with substance abuse,” Senator Xenophon said.“If any government is giving a leg up to Narconon, they should demand accountability for the fact that they’re effectively getting taxpayer help to operate. They should demand transparency in their books, they should demand accountability in their treatment programs.”“When you have people so vulnerable, so desperate for help, to be roped in to something that appear to be a front for Scientology is just not on.”Can you imagine an American politician being as interested in, and vocal about, Scientology’s dangerous and deceptive drug rehabs in this country? What’s it going to take? Source: http://tonyortega.org/2017/05/20/sc...o-federal-judge-who-puts-his-foot-down-again/
Scientology promoting Narconon Trout Run. Has there been some approval I missed? From Mike Rinder's Thursday Funnies: http://www.mikerindersblog.org/thursday-funnies-132/
Scientology trying to salvage its derelict Narconon flagship as new training center By Rod Keller, July 9, 2017 Quote: Scientology has launched an initiative known as the Narconon Arrowhead Expansion Project to revitalize the site. The facility in Canadian, Oklahoma is promoted as the “Flagship Narconon,” much like Flag Land Base in Clearwater is the primary center for completing the OT levels. The facility has fallen on hard times since the death of several patients there and the accompanying lawsuits. A source close to the facility tells us there were recently 10 patients in the program, although the building is designed to hold 200. This news prompted us to take a look at the program, where it is succeeding and where it has failed. <snipped> Despite hard times for the Flagship Narconon at Arrowhead, numerous facility defections and closures, the Narconon network is maintaining operations, particularly in Europe. Newly opened Scientology “Ideal Orgs” and Continental Narconons are instructed to foster the founding of new facilities, and we can expect new attempts to open Narconons in Canada, South Africa and Australia. One source tells us of a plan to open a Narconon Ireland, but the lack of detail tells us this is not imminent. More at http://tonyortega.org/2017/07/09/sc...ict-narconon-flagship-as-new-training-center/
