Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 9, No. 1, 1992, Page 19
Finally, Baxter determined that Helene was to be declared an enemy she was expelled “with
prejudice.” This meant that for all intents and purposes she no longer existed. She was to be
completely shunned. If party members saw her on the street, they were to look straight
through her as though she didn’t exist. This, too, became a standard party method for dealing
with adversaries (real or otherwise) --expelled members, defectors, anyone who spoke out
against the organization, anyone Baxter decided she didn’t like.
It was always the decision of top leadership (that is, Baxter had final approval of all
expulsions, with or without prejudice,6 even when recommendations came from Sandra or the
Discipline and Control Board) as to exactly who would merit this extreme categorization --
expulsion with prejudice. Most often to be handed the fate of expulsion with prejudice in
reality had nothing to do with the actual thoughts or actions of the individual who was about
to be shunned and become nonexistent. Generally, by means of criticism, staged trials,
threats, and at times acts of violence, the person would be intimidated into years of silence
and would not imagine speaking about his or her party experience, much less taking any
action against the group. This isolationist technique contributed to the us/them mentality
typical of most cults and certainly typical of the WDU. It was used to create a feeling of
superiority among members, as well as a sense of paranoia and hostility, as though these
“enemies” truly posed a threat to the organization.
The First Goon Squad
Besides Helene’s formal expulsion from the organization, as a finishing touch, in the fall of
1975, a small squad (of female members from the founding group) was sent to physically
intimidate her. One evening, Helene was stalked at her job and chased home by women who
were her comrades just days before. They stormed her house, pushed her around, ransacked
her belongings, and threatened her. They were well aware that Helene was recovering from
recent major surgery yet this did not prevent them from carrying out their orders to
intimidate her into silence about the organization and threaten her to never move in any way
against the organization or its work. This was the first use of goon squad tactics which the
WDU came to be known for, both internally and externally, in ensuing years.
Such tactics were used against other groups on the Left, against groups within the local labor,
peace, and anti-nuclear movements, and against certain former members. Cars were spray-
painted. Houses and offices were ransacked. Documents were stolen. Political meetings and
conventions were disrupted. People were surveilled and threatened. People were beaten up.
In one case, two recently expelled members were beaten up in front of their child. Jobs were
put in jeopardy, for example, with anonymous calls to employers identifying a certain person
as a child molester or thief. Volunteer political work was put in jeopardy with anonymous calls
to organizations identifying a certain person as an agent provocateur.
Similar methods were used inside the party as well. Militants being punished for something or
awaiting trial were suspended (removed from party life), put on punitive suspension (could
not be talked to by another member, that is, lived in total silence, sometimes for as long as
six weeks), put under house arrest, and guarded round the clock. A member returning from a
party assignment was met at the airport by a “goon” and escorted home in silence, given
orders where to report the next day. A female militant sat for hours while Baxter, drunk, held
a gun to the young woman’s head. A founder being expelled was whisked from her house,
every-thing taken from her, and put on a plane to her parents’ home across the country. An
expelled militant was suddenly thrown out of his house, all of his clothes and belongings
discarded onto the street. A leadership militant about to marry one of Baxter’s most trusted
handmaidens had a gun put to his head until he vowed he would never harm Baxter’s
“daughter” --this was his real wedding ceremony, she declared. A foreign-born inner-circle
militant who did not respond to one of Baxter’s advances was expelled and put on a plane to
Europe without a penny in her pocket. Other expelled militants were threatened and extorted,
Finally, Baxter determined that Helene was to be declared an enemy she was expelled “with
prejudice.” This meant that for all intents and purposes she no longer existed. She was to be
completely shunned. If party members saw her on the street, they were to look straight
through her as though she didn’t exist. This, too, became a standard party method for dealing
with adversaries (real or otherwise) --expelled members, defectors, anyone who spoke out
against the organization, anyone Baxter decided she didn’t like.
It was always the decision of top leadership (that is, Baxter had final approval of all
expulsions, with or without prejudice,6 even when recommendations came from Sandra or the
Discipline and Control Board) as to exactly who would merit this extreme categorization --
expulsion with prejudice. Most often to be handed the fate of expulsion with prejudice in
reality had nothing to do with the actual thoughts or actions of the individual who was about
to be shunned and become nonexistent. Generally, by means of criticism, staged trials,
threats, and at times acts of violence, the person would be intimidated into years of silence
and would not imagine speaking about his or her party experience, much less taking any
action against the group. This isolationist technique contributed to the us/them mentality
typical of most cults and certainly typical of the WDU. It was used to create a feeling of
superiority among members, as well as a sense of paranoia and hostility, as though these
“enemies” truly posed a threat to the organization.
The First Goon Squad
Besides Helene’s formal expulsion from the organization, as a finishing touch, in the fall of
1975, a small squad (of female members from the founding group) was sent to physically
intimidate her. One evening, Helene was stalked at her job and chased home by women who
were her comrades just days before. They stormed her house, pushed her around, ransacked
her belongings, and threatened her. They were well aware that Helene was recovering from
recent major surgery yet this did not prevent them from carrying out their orders to
intimidate her into silence about the organization and threaten her to never move in any way
against the organization or its work. This was the first use of goon squad tactics which the
WDU came to be known for, both internally and externally, in ensuing years.
Such tactics were used against other groups on the Left, against groups within the local labor,
peace, and anti-nuclear movements, and against certain former members. Cars were spray-
painted. Houses and offices were ransacked. Documents were stolen. Political meetings and
conventions were disrupted. People were surveilled and threatened. People were beaten up.
In one case, two recently expelled members were beaten up in front of their child. Jobs were
put in jeopardy, for example, with anonymous calls to employers identifying a certain person
as a child molester or thief. Volunteer political work was put in jeopardy with anonymous calls
to organizations identifying a certain person as an agent provocateur.
Similar methods were used inside the party as well. Militants being punished for something or
awaiting trial were suspended (removed from party life), put on punitive suspension (could
not be talked to by another member, that is, lived in total silence, sometimes for as long as
six weeks), put under house arrest, and guarded round the clock. A member returning from a
party assignment was met at the airport by a “goon” and escorted home in silence, given
orders where to report the next day. A female militant sat for hours while Baxter, drunk, held
a gun to the young woman’s head. A founder being expelled was whisked from her house,
every-thing taken from her, and put on a plane to her parents’ home across the country. An
expelled militant was suddenly thrown out of his house, all of his clothes and belongings
discarded onto the street. A leadership militant about to marry one of Baxter’s most trusted
handmaidens had a gun put to his head until he vowed he would never harm Baxter’s
“daughter” --this was his real wedding ceremony, she declared. A foreign-born inner-circle
militant who did not respond to one of Baxter’s advances was expelled and put on a plane to
Europe without a penny in her pocket. Other expelled militants were threatened and extorted,
