Is Scientology breaking the law?

Allegations of invasion of privacy by Scientology

Excerpted from http://www.scientology-lies.com/re.cgi?http://wheel.ucdavis.edu/~btcarrol/skeptic/comments/dianeticcom.html . Please see that page for the full text.

Emphasis added in red . Editorial comments, when added, are in purple .


Julie Richard describes invasion of privacy by a Scientology management consultant

After working for a scientologist who attempted to coerce me into a dianetic class, I have never picked up the book and therefore couldn't tell you about its scientific claims. I can, however, tell you that the scientologists I met while in this woman's employ did not think they were doing God's work. Quite the opposite. They were solely interested in recruiting more scientologists.

A representative from a "management" company would come to the office whenever the doctor's "engrams" kicked in (this was usually when she had difficulty with her father, who was vehemently opposed to her being a scientologist). This representative, who called himself a counselor, wanted me to allow him access to patient files so he could see which ones were likely candidates for scientology auditing. For each person the doctor convinced to sign up for classes, she received a discount on her own auditing. I know of at least two patients who did agree to taking a dianetics course on the doctors "recommendation." However, access to patient files are protected by federal law, and I wasn't about to be the one to open them to him.

The same management company wanted me to try to get blank "counter" checks from patients to keep in their files, just in case they forgot to bring their checkbook to the clinic. After double checking it with a local bank manager friend, I informed this "counselor" that such action was illegal.

Medicare patients were routinely lied to about their coverage, all under the authority and supervision of the "management" company. Also under this company, the doctor was hard pressed to get new patients. She was to turn in her "statistics" each week. These statistics consisted of me making a chart of how many patients she saw each week. No calculations of means or any other even basic statistical analysis, just a chart of the number of patients each week. They gave the doctor what the "mean" was supposed to be, and if she didn't reach it, then there was obviously a problem with the engrams and more counseling was needed. At one seminar, we were instructed on how to get patients to pay in advance for treatment, preferably in cash. While that is legal, the doctors were told they didn't need to put such cash in a trust fund for that patient, which is illegal.

We were also taught how not to let the patients say no to treatment. We were told that anyone who believed that patients had the right to free thought should never come in contact with the patients. We were instructed to "ruin" any argument the patient had concerning their treatment. This seminar cost the doctor approximately $1000.

Julie Richard

 

This page was last updated on May 8, 1999.