The Church of Scientology today is run by a high-school dropout who grew up at the knee of the late L. Ron Hubbard and wields power with the iron-fisted approach of his mentor. At 30, David Miscavige is chairman of the board of an organization that sits atop the bureaucratic labyrinth known as the Church of Scientology. This organization, the Religious Technology Center, owns the trademarks that Scientology churches need to operate, including the words Scientology and Dianetics. The Religious Technology ...

The C.A. 2nd has upheld dismissal of a complaint filed by former members of the Church of Scientology that was based on allegations of fraud, disclosure of confidential confessions and the diversion of church funds. Six individuals, a nonprofit organization, and a 400-member class sued 14 individuals, six nonprofit organizations, two corporations and five other entities for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and injunctive relief. The claims were based on allegations that the plaintiffs had been induced to join the Church ...

Eastern San Fernando Valley community and church leaders spoke out Saturday against plans to almost double the capacity of a residential mental health facility in Lake View Terrace. "We feel we've already been inundated with this type of facility," said Fred Taylor, president of Focus '90, an organization that is working with the Ministers Fellowship of the Greater San Fernando Valley to improve the area's image. "This area has become a slum, a dumping ground," said the Rev. James Wade, pastor ...

Former employees of EST founder Werner Erhard say they were forced to obey the pop psychology guru in a manner akin to God and to submit themselves to numerous instances of verbally and physically abusive behavior. In sworn statements, the ex-employees also charge that they were required to worship Erhard as the Source and were controlled with exhausting work schedules, loyalty oaths, threats and emotional abuse. The allegations – by five former staff members of est, of the Forum and of ...

Imagine that a biographer is rummaging through an old trunk. He discovers a previously unseen letter from George Washington to Martha. He unfolds the brittle pages. "Martha, I must tell you, I was fibbing when I said, 'I cannot tell a lie.' " When that hypothetical biography is published, will you, the book buyer, get to read the Founding Father's confession? Hard to say. Last month the Supreme Court refused to review an appeals court ruling that copyright law strictly limits ...

Police Chief Daryl. F. Gates arrived 20 minutes late, knifing his way into a warm, stuffy conference room that seemed more like a lion's den, jammed with 17 television cameras and more than 70 news media members. He appeared ruddy and strained, despite his dapper blue suit and a red tie spangled with tiny American flags. The news conference Thursday–amid a nationwide uproar over the beating of black construction worker Rodney G. King by several Los Angeles police officers–was perhaps the ...

The Gray Moss Inn, a turn-of-the century downtown hotel, has been sold to a California lawyer for $1.65-million. The hotel at 215 S Fort Harrison Ave. is across the street from another landmark Clearwater hotel: the Fort Harrison. The Fort Harrison Hotel is owned by the Church of Scientology, which has its worldwide spiritual headquarters in Clearwater. The buyer of the Gray Moss is Los Angeles lawyer Bert B. Babero. The sale was handled by state Rep. Gerald S. "Jerry" Rehm, ...

The IRS, which earlier took on the Scientologists in Washington and Los Angeles, now has brought its court battle to federal court in Tampa. Its target is Scientology's worldwide spiritual headquarters in Clearwater. Scientologists vehemently disagree, calling the IRS corrupt and accusing it of pursuing a vendetta against Scientology. ``We feel the federal government should investigate illegal drug running in Florida and should investigate money laundering in Florida banks,`` said spokesman Humberto Fontana. Scientologists also are in court with Pinellas County ...

Pomona police said Friday they are investigating whether beliefs espoused by the Church of Scientology led a family to confine a mentally disabled woman in a cell-like bedroom at a Phillips Ranch house. While stressing that neither the church nor its beliefs are under investigation, police said they want to know if Scientology practices could explain why the woman was kept in confinement. Police and Los Angeles County mental health workers discovered Marianne Coenan, 31, locked in a sparsely furnished room ...

The storage facility on Sunset View Ranch, now owned by The Church of Spiritual Technology, will be used to preserve the religious and philosophic writings for generations to come of the late L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology. Michel Ouelette, 40, formerly of Montreal in French-speaking Quebec, Canada, who said he is manager of the 3,000-acre ranch, explained the purpose of the Church of Spiritual Technology over coffee in the handsomely remodeled former Ben Walker residence, now called ...

The Church of Spiritual Technology may need a permit for its vault to store church documents. According to Thomas Conlon, county planning director, the church said state geologists have told it no permit is needed to excavate on Walker Mountain for the vault. Conlon said the matter is now under review. Michel Oullette, spokesman, said earlier the church has 45 members and the vault was needed to store church records or documents. Unconfirmed reports say excavation has started and the vault ...