Is Scientology breaking the law?

... There's evidence that they are.

Extortion

Scientology policy imposes a "freeloaders debt" of thousands of dollars on anyone who leaves employment before the contract is up. Are some extortion allegations the result of that policy?

 


Freeloader Debt

Scientology employees are given "free" auditing and training, but all such services are invoiced. If the employee leaves before the contract is up, Scientology policy is that the employee now owes the org for the full cost of all these services. Although this "debt" is almost certainly not legally enforceable, many Scientologists believe that it is, and are effectively victims of extortion due to this policy.

 

HCO PL 20 Jul 1966RB

Re-Revised 24 Nov 1985

STAFF STATUS

Staff Status Two, if on contract, may receive free training and processing to the level of training and processing delivered by the org. He is entitled to a 50% discount on further training and processing at a higher org.

PENALTY

If a staff member breaks his contract, leaving employ or going to a higher org with contract incomplete, he is then liable for FULL PAYMENT of all courses and processing he has received at FULL RATE (not just 50%), and owes for all transport or expenses he may have been paid.

Note that this applies to any staff member who breaks his contract, even if he is going to a higher org - ostensibly a promotion. Remember, too, that a staff member may not refuse processing. Thus, a staff member can be made to rack up a huge debt, which is then supposed to become a debt if the staffer leaves before the contract is up.

 

HCO PL 27 Sept 1970

CUTATIVE PRICES

Price cuts are forbidden under any guise.

1. PROCESSING MAY NEVER BE GIVEN AWAY BY AN ORG.

Processing is too expensive to deliver.

Adv payments are sometimes refunded.

9. ONLY FULLY CONTRACTED STAFF IS AWARDED FREE SERVICE, AND THIS IS DONE BY INVOICE AND LEGAL NOTE WHICH BECOMES DUE AND PAYABLE IF THE CONTRACT IS BROKEN.

 

 

This page was last updated on May 8, 1999.