harassment

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Scientology policy dictates harassing people through noisy investigations and other tactics.

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Keith Henson - Urgent Action Needed
Paulette Cooper
Church of Scientology probes Herald reporter - Investigation follows pattern of harassment Boston Herald: Church of Scientology probes Herald reporter - Investigation follows pattern of harassment
April 1, 1972Author Here Sues Scientologists Paulette Cooper, a freelance writer, has accused the Church of Scientology in a lawsuit filed here of "intentional interference" with her constitutional freedom of speech and press, charging that the organization threatened her in the form of libel suits and wiretapping after her critical book about the quasi-religious organization was published last fall.
March 7, 1974Counterattack: The Response To Criticism The Church of Scientology does not turn the other cheek. Church policy is to find what attackers have to hide. The organization is quick to bring lawsuits challenging unfavorable books and articles. Many persons who leave or who are expelled by the church say that they are frightened by the organization.
August 29, 1978Church Claims U.S. Campaign of Harassment Los Angeles Times: Church Claims U.S. Campaign of Harassment
April 22, 1980Scientologists Tried To Silence Enemies The Las Vegas Church of Scientology attempted to silence its enemies and critics in Nevada by waging propaganda and espionage campaigns against Las Vegas law-enforcement and business agencies. Documents seized from the church by the FBI reveal the church on a national scale conspired to steal grand jury transcripts, attempted to infiltrate the CIA, and launched a myriad of dirty tricks against public officials.
April 2, 1982Suit Against Church Whittled A District Judge has dismissed seven of 14 allegations of wrongdoing against the Church of Scientology by a Boston-area woman and said he will consider whether the First Amendment bars some of the remaining allegations in the $200 million class action suit. The claims were filed by a former member of the church, La Venda Van Schaick, who claimed she was induced into joining the church by false representations, defrauded, subjected to emotional distress, locked in a room, and harassed in many other ways.
May 9, 1982Sect to counterattack, city told "Walters predicted all city commissioners will be sued, a 'massive' public relations campaign will begin, city government will be infiltrated by sect agents and that officials may be harassed."
April 12, 1983Scientology Suit Allowed to Go to Trial A federal judge opened the way Monday for four former Scientologists to sue the church for fraud over a variety of claims including promises that it could prevent colds, raise intelligence and solve obesity. The judge ruled that while Scientology is a religion, many of the claims it makes appear to involve non-religious matters, such as statements that it can improve a person's health and career.
March 24, 1984Former Scientologist Fred Stansfield Receives a Death Threat Stansfield claims he received a death threat from a Scientologist "friend" on March 24, 1984 (a threat reported to the FBI)
April 17, 1985Court Hears Final Scientology Tape Jurors in the Church of Scientology fraud trial Tuesday listened to the last of five hours of surreptitiously-taped conversations in which a former Scientologist talked about a plan to "transform" church leadership by filing suit to take managerial control. In the final two recorded meetings, Armstrong said he "wouldn't touch" an idea posed by his questioner about writing false materials on the letterhead of a private investigator, whom Armstrong believed was pursuing him on behalf of the church. As it turned out, the private investigator was the one making the tapes.
April 19, 1985Witness Says Judge Probed A Portland judge who presided over a fraud trial involving the Church of Scientology in 1979 was the target of a covert operation by the church aimed at learning his attitudes about drug usage and sexual promiscuity, a former Scientologist testified.
April 23, 1985Los Angeles Police - Public Statement Regarding Eugene Ingram's Wiretapping A public announcement by Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates disavowing any cooperation with Eugene Ingram, longtime Scientology agent, who claimed to have obtained a letter from the LAPD authorizing Ingram to eavesdrop on others.
April 4, 1986Inside Scientology - Finally When the staffers learn that you are a "wog" (Scientology-speak for non-Scientologist) or, worse yet, a wog journalist their warm smiles change instantly to icy defensiveness. Unless a Scientologist's neighbor is a fellow member of the church, Scientologists can be zealously self protective.
April 8, 1986Ex-Scientologist Says Church Harassed Him Miami Herald: Ex-Scientologist Says Church Harassed Him
August 30, 1986Principals Shouldn`T Harass Teachers Charlotte Observer: Principals Shouldn`T Harass Teachers
April 21, 1987Supreme Court Turns Down Scientology Plea The Supreme Court's decision clears the way for former Scientologist Larry Wollersheim to begin seizing church assets to satisfy a $30-million award he won last year. Wollersheim, who contended that the church harassed him and drove him to the brink of insanity, was awarded $5 million in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages by the Los Angeles Superior Court jury.
December 22, 1988Scientology Faces New Charges of Harassment St. Petersburg Times: Scientology Faces New Charges of Harassment
July 6, 1989Scientology Faces New Charges of Harassment (reprint from SP Times) Newkirk Herald: Scientology Faces New Charges of Harassment (reprint from SP Times)
June 24, 1990Los Angeles Times: Burglaries and Lies Paved a Path to Prison A web of criminal conspiracy to discredit the church's foes resulted in prison sentences for 11 top-ranking Scientologists.
June 29, 1990Los Angeles Times: On the Offensive Against an Array of Suspected Foes The Church of Scientology does not turn the other cheek. Ministers mingle with private detectives. "Sacred scriptures" counsel the virtues of combativeness. Parishioners double as paralegals for litigious church attorneys.
June 29, 1990Los Angeles Times: A Lawyer Learns What It's Like to Fight the Church Attorney Joseph Yanny says his Century City law firm was burglarized four times and that Scientology-related documents turned up missing; that he has been spied upon by a church "plant" working as a secretary in his office; and that private investigators have camped outside his Hermosa Beach residence and shadowed him when he left.
June 29, 1990Los Angeles Times: The Battle with the "Squirrels" Hubbard contended that only church members are qualified to administer his self-improvement-type courses. Outsiders, he said, inevitably misapply the teachings, wreaking spiritual harm on their subjects. But those who have launched "independent" Scientology-style centers say Hubbard concocted this as an excuse to eliminate competition so he could charge exorbitant prices for his courses.
June 29, 1990Former Church of Scientology lawyer Joseph Yanny has become a target of harassment Los Angeles Times: Former Church of Scientology lawyer Joseph Yanny has become a target of harassment
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