VOLUME 13 |ISSUE 3 |2022 35
co-edited a book with former student Susan Raine, now
a professor at MacEwan University, called Scientology in
Popular Culture. Kent has also become a top go-to expert
for media commentary. Just last month he was quoted in
the Irish Times when the newspaper discovered the church
had sent thousands of pamphlets to Irish schools under
the guise of a human rights organization-just one recent
attempt in a concerted campaign to infiltrate Irish society
and promote the doctrine of Scientology founder L. Ron
Hubbard. But in Kent’s view, the strategy may be just a
desperate ploy to stay alive. There has been significant
opposition to Scientology in Ireland, he said. The last
census revealed its membership at just 87, reflecting
a more global public relations crisis that has been
plaguing the church for years.” (University of Alberta Folio,
01/11/2018)
California supreme court denies Scientology’s petition
to review arbitration and restores lawsuit filed by
Danny Masterson’s accusers
“The California Supreme Court has denied the Church
of Scientology’s petition to review ‘religious arbitration,’
thereby restoring a lawsuit filed by Danny Masterson’s
accusers against the church. It was another loss for the
religious institution, which previously argued its case
to the California Court of Appeal, claiming the court
misstepped when allowing members the ‘sweeping and
unbounded’ right to leave the church. On January 20,
however, it was shut down and determined that church
members cannot be bound to a perpetual agreement to
resolve disputes before a religious arbitration panel after
the members have left the faith.” (Radar Online, 04/21/22)
3 former Scientology workers sue, saying they were
trafficked as children
“A federal lawsuit in Tampa accuses Scientology leader
David Miscavige and the church of forcing child staffers
to work in Clearwater. Gawain Baxter was 6 years old when
he signed a contract agreeing to work for the Church
of Scientology for 1 billion years. He said he spent his
childhood doing manual labor at Scientology’s Flag Land
Base in Clearwater, and getting no education beyond
basic reading, writing and math. At 15, Baxter attempted to
leave by writing a letter to a superior about constant abuse
and intolerable living conditions. Instead, he said, church
officials sent him to Scientology’s Freewinds ship in the
Caribbean, where he worked for little or no wages for 14
years. Through its highly regimented Sea Org workforce,
Scientology officials systematically trafficked Baxter, 39,
and others by indoctrinating them as children and making
it financially, physically and psychologically impossible
for them to leave as adults, according to a lawsuit filed
Thursday in Tampa federal court against Scientology
leader David Miscavige and five church entities. The 90-
page complaint was filed on behalf of Baxter, his wife,
Laura Baxter, and Valeska Paris, who all were raised in
Scientology and worked on the Freewinds, where they said
the church confiscated their passports and identification
documents. They allege six counts of forced labor and
peonage in violation of the Trafficking Victims Protection
Reauthorization Act.” (Tampa Bay Times, 04/30/22)
What is Teal Swan’s real name? All about the cult
leader ahead of Freeform’s the Deep End documentary
“Teal Swan is a self-declared spiritual leader who is
the subject of Freeform’s upcoming documentary The
Deep End. Born in Utah, the internet personality was
named Mary Teal Bosworth before taking up her cult
personality, Teal Swan. Going by various tags like personal
transformation, revolutionary and spiritual catalyst, Swan
runs retreats in the United States and Central America
for her followers called the Teal Tribe. She has a global
cult-like presence with many followers who swear by her
guidance.” (SKPop, July 23 2022)
Cult members let girl die because they thought God
would save her -police
“Twelve members of a religious cult known as ‘The Saints’
have been arrested in connection with the death of an
8-year-old girl who died after being refused life-saving
medication in the belief that God would heal her instead.
Elizabeth Struhs, who suffered from Type 1 diabetes, died
on January 7 at her family’s home in Rangeville, in the
Australian state of Queensland. Her mother and father,
who have since been charged with murder, did not give
her any insulin in the six days leading up to her death,
police said. The couple and other church members held
back on calling paramedics until 5:30 p.m. the day after
the child had died, it’s alleged, because they believed
she would be resurrected, according to the Courier-Mail
newspaper. Earlier this year, the parents, Kerrie and Jason
Struhs, were charged with a string of offenses including
murder, torture and failing to provide the necessities
of life for their daughter, The Guardian reported. The
couple has not yet revealed how they intend to plead.”
(Newsweek, 07/07/22)
David Lynch launches $500 million Transcendental
Meditation program
“The Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive director
announced the initiative on Thursday (April 14) to fund
Transcendental Meditation (TM) training for 30,000
international college students, hoping to inspire the next
generation to ‘become advanced peace-creating
co-edited a book with former student Susan Raine, now
a professor at MacEwan University, called Scientology in
Popular Culture. Kent has also become a top go-to expert
for media commentary. Just last month he was quoted in
the Irish Times when the newspaper discovered the church
had sent thousands of pamphlets to Irish schools under
the guise of a human rights organization-just one recent
attempt in a concerted campaign to infiltrate Irish society
and promote the doctrine of Scientology founder L. Ron
Hubbard. But in Kent’s view, the strategy may be just a
desperate ploy to stay alive. There has been significant
opposition to Scientology in Ireland, he said. The last
census revealed its membership at just 87, reflecting
a more global public relations crisis that has been
plaguing the church for years.” (University of Alberta Folio,
01/11/2018)
California supreme court denies Scientology’s petition
to review arbitration and restores lawsuit filed by
Danny Masterson’s accusers
“The California Supreme Court has denied the Church
of Scientology’s petition to review ‘religious arbitration,’
thereby restoring a lawsuit filed by Danny Masterson’s
accusers against the church. It was another loss for the
religious institution, which previously argued its case
to the California Court of Appeal, claiming the court
misstepped when allowing members the ‘sweeping and
unbounded’ right to leave the church. On January 20,
however, it was shut down and determined that church
members cannot be bound to a perpetual agreement to
resolve disputes before a religious arbitration panel after
the members have left the faith.” (Radar Online, 04/21/22)
3 former Scientology workers sue, saying they were
trafficked as children
“A federal lawsuit in Tampa accuses Scientology leader
David Miscavige and the church of forcing child staffers
to work in Clearwater. Gawain Baxter was 6 years old when
he signed a contract agreeing to work for the Church
of Scientology for 1 billion years. He said he spent his
childhood doing manual labor at Scientology’s Flag Land
Base in Clearwater, and getting no education beyond
basic reading, writing and math. At 15, Baxter attempted to
leave by writing a letter to a superior about constant abuse
and intolerable living conditions. Instead, he said, church
officials sent him to Scientology’s Freewinds ship in the
Caribbean, where he worked for little or no wages for 14
years. Through its highly regimented Sea Org workforce,
Scientology officials systematically trafficked Baxter, 39,
and others by indoctrinating them as children and making
it financially, physically and psychologically impossible
for them to leave as adults, according to a lawsuit filed
Thursday in Tampa federal court against Scientology
leader David Miscavige and five church entities. The 90-
page complaint was filed on behalf of Baxter, his wife,
Laura Baxter, and Valeska Paris, who all were raised in
Scientology and worked on the Freewinds, where they said
the church confiscated their passports and identification
documents. They allege six counts of forced labor and
peonage in violation of the Trafficking Victims Protection
Reauthorization Act.” (Tampa Bay Times, 04/30/22)
What is Teal Swan’s real name? All about the cult
leader ahead of Freeform’s the Deep End documentary
“Teal Swan is a self-declared spiritual leader who is
the subject of Freeform’s upcoming documentary The
Deep End. Born in Utah, the internet personality was
named Mary Teal Bosworth before taking up her cult
personality, Teal Swan. Going by various tags like personal
transformation, revolutionary and spiritual catalyst, Swan
runs retreats in the United States and Central America
for her followers called the Teal Tribe. She has a global
cult-like presence with many followers who swear by her
guidance.” (SKPop, July 23 2022)
Cult members let girl die because they thought God
would save her -police
“Twelve members of a religious cult known as ‘The Saints’
have been arrested in connection with the death of an
8-year-old girl who died after being refused life-saving
medication in the belief that God would heal her instead.
Elizabeth Struhs, who suffered from Type 1 diabetes, died
on January 7 at her family’s home in Rangeville, in the
Australian state of Queensland. Her mother and father,
who have since been charged with murder, did not give
her any insulin in the six days leading up to her death,
police said. The couple and other church members held
back on calling paramedics until 5:30 p.m. the day after
the child had died, it’s alleged, because they believed
she would be resurrected, according to the Courier-Mail
newspaper. Earlier this year, the parents, Kerrie and Jason
Struhs, were charged with a string of offenses including
murder, torture and failing to provide the necessities
of life for their daughter, The Guardian reported. The
couple has not yet revealed how they intend to plead.”
(Newsweek, 07/07/22)
David Lynch launches $500 million Transcendental
Meditation program
“The Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive director
announced the initiative on Thursday (April 14) to fund
Transcendental Meditation (TM) training for 30,000
international college students, hoping to inspire the next
generation to ‘become advanced peace-creating
