Rathbun vs Scientology/Miscavige, et. al -- Preliminary Hearing - Media Reports

[suspiciousperson]

Did anyone consider the racial component in the hearings? Mosey Rathbun is African-American. Of the 15 Scientoilogy attorneys, only one is African-America & was the one that was front & center today. The cult has their token black man on their team... they should be so proud. The fact that he was earning a bundle of legal fees from this doesn't mean we can't call Lamont Jefferson out for selling out his integrity & playing the race card against a fellow African-America, in return for alot of cash.

Lamont's brother is Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court.

http://texaslawyer.typepad.com/texa...-luncheon-honoring-extraordinary-lawyers.html

http://texaslawyer.typepad.com/texa...las-jefferson-father-of-chief-justice-wa.html

Erm, maybe I'm just showing myself as coming from a civilised eastern hemisphere country rather than letshaveawartokeepslaveryland, but how is this dude "playing the race card" by basically not being white?

Off topic but you guys really need to sort yourselves out because all ndications are you are a ridiculously "race-aware" country and with less than half your new borns being white you are basically setting yiurself up for civil war 2.0 until you recognise itreally doesn't matter.

Then again it seems half the republicans hate 90% of democrats and vice versa. Try getting along with each other maybe?

 

[Mimsey Borogrove]

Stolen from Tony O's blog...

 

[CommunicatorIC]

HT - WWP: https://whyweprotest.net/community/...os-for-harassment.113178/page-17#post-2356937

Wife details alleged harassment

Posted: Friday, September 13, 2013 12:13 am
By Dalondo Moultrie New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung

A district judge heard testimony Thursday in the lawsuit filed against the California-based Church of Scientology by a Comal County woman who claims that she and her husband, Mark Rathbun, a former leading Scientologist, are being persecuted by church followers.
During Thursday’s hearing — which is attracting national and international attention — the only person to take the stand was the plaintiff Monique Rathbun of Bulverde. Rathbun is seeking $1 million in damages from Scientology

The rest is behind a paywall:

http://herald-zeitung.com/news/local_news/article_4ee95dd6-1c33-11e3-9e9c-0019bb2963f4.html

 

[BunnySkull]

Erm, maybe I'm just showing myself as coming from a civilised eastern hemisphere country rather than letshaveawartokeepslaveryland, but how is this dude "playing the race card" by basically not being white?

Off topic but you guys really need to sort yourselves out because all ndications are you are a ridiculously "race-aware" country and with less than half your new borns being white you are basically setting yiurself up for civil war 2.0 until you recognise itreally doesn't matter.

Then again it seems half the republicans hate 90% of democrats and vice versa. Try getting along with each other maybe?

I think you are definitely showing your naivtivity, not so much your civility. Maybe it's because you aren't from a country with a significant African-American population? It's very common in US courts, as an example, if a woman sues a corporation for sexual harassment that corporation will be sure to make a woman lead or co-counsel. Same thing with a black or gay litigant. They think if they hire a minority attorney to go after a minority defendant - then they are showing they aren't racist, sexist, bigoted, etc... It's a very old ploy, esp in sexual harassment or rape cases (that's when it first was employed a lot).

It's very nasty, because they particularly like to use their minority-gun-for-hire to say or ask questions that would be deemed totally inappropriate. Esp if coming from a white man, or anyone not if that minority group. Because hey, a black guy cant ask racist questions, he can't be racist, right? (wrong, but that's how they use a minority as a pawn to do or say things no one else would be able too) I'm sure they will make the black attorney ask or say things to Monique they would never dream if having a white attorney ask or say. (I figure they have a woman attorney in the ranks to ask any of the nasty sex-oriented stuff they might try to bring up.)

Now, do I think the CoS made their 1 black attorney (out of 15) front and center today when they were cross-examining a African-American woman who is suing them because of intense harassment? Absofuckinglutely. However, knowing how the cult plays I'm sure the fact that this guys brother is the TX Chief Justice made them probably cream their pants in delight and they probably are paying him an obscene amount to kill 2 birds with one stone if you will. CoS will try to buy backdoor legal influence in the legal system any way they can. So he wasn't just hired because he was black, but because his big brother sits on the TX high court.

ETA: For your ridiculous race-aware comment, addressing Smurf as if he is a country: I would hope I am race aware. If you aren't aware of white privilege there is a big problem. Any one who thinks they are color blind is delusional and dishonest - being aware of ingrained prejudices and biases, in yourself and society as a whole, is vital to combating institutional and individual racism. Nothing will make a black person roll their eyes harder than a white person saying they are colorblind or that they don't pay attention to race/ethnicity. They think that "Must be nice, yet another form of white privilege". Because I promise you no minority has ever had the luxury of pretending race doesn't exist or matter, only people in the majority/dominate culture can have that fantasy.

 

[Smurf]

Erm, maybe I'm just showing myself as coming from a civilised eastern hemisphere country rather than letshaveawartokeepslaveryland, but how is this dude "playing the race card" by basically not being white?

snip of troll nonsense..

My comment is self-explanatory. As for yourself, 20 posts in 3 months? Says alot.

 

[Dulloldfart]

Please keep this thread for media reports now.

Paul

 

[CommunicatorIC]

WOAI 1200: Former Scientology Leader Faces Down Church in New Braunfels Courtroom

WOAI 1200: Former Scientology Leader Faces Down Church in New Braunfels Courtroom
http://www.woai.com/articles/woai-l...cientology-leader-faces-down-church-11650167/

Excerpt:

The controversial Church of Scientology is on trial in a courtroom in Comal County, as 1200 WOAI's Michael Board reports from New Braunfels. Monique Rathbun of Spring Branch, who has no connections to the church, is suing Scientology, claiming she has been harassed and intimidated by Scientology and by its members, simply because she is married to a former Scientology leader who has become a vocal critic of the church and its leaders. "We were not going to bow down to their demands to be silent, which is really what this case, and the harassment, are all about," said Marty Rathbun. He was a long time assistant to Scientology leader David Miscavage.​

 

[JBWriter]

Just in...

RadarOnline's 'Exclusive' -- Link here: http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/09/scientology-stalkers-monique-rathbun/

"Scientology Stalkers Ruined My Life! Wife Of Ex-Scientologist Tells Court Church Harassed Her For Years"

Excerpt:

In recent years, former Scientologists have begun to come forward to expose the inner workings of the mysterious organization, airing allegations of abuse, harassment and other dark secrets.

But now, a woman who was never even a member of the church claims that Scientologists practically stalked her for years, and she’s suing church leader David Miscavige for allegedly orchestrating the campaign of intimidation. In her first court testimony Thursday in Texas, that woman, Monique Rathbun, described an exhaustive and comprehensive attempt by the church to make her life a living hell.

Eye-catching headline, yes?

JB

 

[JBWriter]

From The Texas Observer, by Patrick Michels - Link: http://www.texasobserver.org/scient...ight-sparks-epic-showdown-comal-county-court/

"Scientology Defector's Epic Showdown Begins In New Braunfels Court"

Excerpts:

It reads like a half-baked Hollywood treatment.

A top official in the world’s most notorious church flees a secret compound and, presumed dead, escapes to a new life on the Texas coast. When he and his new wife are discovered, they’re so hounded by church enforcers that they haul the church to court for a restraining order. And now, inside a quaint historic courthouse in a Texas town, the church and all its big-time legal firepower must defend itself before a rural judge.

That’s the real-life story as Mark and Monique Rathbun tell it, and her lawsuit filed in Comal County last month spells it out in even more compelling detail. Before a dozen or more lawyers for the Church of Scientology and others she’s accused of stalking her, Monique Rathbun took the witness stand Thursday and described being stalked from one home to the next, harassed at work and followed overseas.

Prompted by her lawyer Ray Jeffrey, Monique Rathbun choked up Thursday as she recalled finding surveillance cameras hidden in the trees behind their new home earlier this year, pointed at their house.

“It was just devastating,” she said. “It was just… this is never gonna stop.”

“How much more of this can you take?” Jeffrey asked her.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know the answer to that question.”

Any trial in the case is a long ways off—even the decision on extending the restraining order is likely weeks away. Lawyers are back in court today to fight over an attempt to get Jeffrey, Rathbun’s lawyer, removed from the case. They’ll be back in New Braunfels again later this month or early next month—depending on the schedules of Scientology’s legal team and, of course, the longest-running county fair in Texas.

This site mentioned/linked to The Underground Bunker and features the actual Rathbun complaint itself. Kudos to Mr. Michels.

JB ("County fair"? I'm in! Book a flight!)

 

[CommunicatorIC]

Scientology Defector’s Epic Showdown Begins in New Braunfels Court

Texas Observer: Scientology Defector’s Epic Showdown Begins in New Braunfels Court
http://www.texasobserver.org/scientology-defectors-privacy-fight-sparks-epic-showdown-comal-county-court/

Excerpt:

It reads like a half-baked Hollywood treatment.

A top official in the world’s most notorious church flees a secret compound and, presumed dead, escapes to a new life on the Texas coast. When he and his new wife are discovered, they’re so hounded by church enforcers that they haul the church to court for a restraining order. And now, inside a quaint historic courthouse in a Texas town, the church and all its big-time legal firepower must defend itself before a rural judge.

That’s the real-life story as Mark and Monique Rathbun tell it, and her lawsuit filed in Comal County last month spells it out in even more compelling detail. Before a dozen or more lawyers for the Church of Scientology and others she’s accused of stalking her, Monique Rathbun took the witness stand Thursday and described being stalked from one home to the next, harassed at work and followed overseas.

 

[JBWriter]

The story has jumped the pond!

"Couple Tells Court Of Their Misery At The Hands Of Sceintology's 'Squirrel-Busters' Accused Of Campaign Of Harassment"

Link to the UK's DailyMail online story here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ed-campaign-harassment.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Excerpts:

A Texas couple have told a court they were subjected to harassment by a group of Scientologists, who allegedly taunted them in the street, pointed cameras at their home and sent a sex toy to their office.

Monique Rathbun is bringing a lawsuit claiming she suffered emotional distress after a 199-day campaign of harassment that she claims was directed by Scientology leader David Miscavige.

She claimed that whenever she or her husband and former Scientologist Marty went outside, a group known as the 'squirrel busters' would approach them and tell Mr Rathbun to stop what he was doing.

The article contains links to the Tampa Bay Times and Radar ...but not to The Underground Bunker.

JB

 

[Purple Rain]

The story has jumped the pond!

"Couple Tells Court Of Their Misery At The Hands Of Sceintology's 'Squirrel-Busters' Accused Of Campaign Of Harassment"

Link to the UK's DailyMail online story here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ed-campaign-harassment.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Excerpts:



The article contains links to the Tampa Bay Times and Radar ...but not to The Underground Bunker.

JB

Seriously, what do these people have against the bunker?

 

[JBWriter]

"Harassment Suit Focusing On Scientology Leader" - from the San Antonio Express-News, by John MacCormack.

Link: http://www.expressnews.com/news/loc...it-focusing-on-Scientology-leader-4813384.php

Excerpt:

NEW BRAUNFELS —Verbal pyrotechnics rattled the courtroom Friday during a contentious hearing over a lawsuit filed by a Bulverde woman against the Church of Scientology and its leader David Miscavige, who's quickly becoming the central figure of the case.

In her suit, Monique Rathbun claims a four-year campaign of surveillance, harassment and dirty tricks aimed at her and her husband, prominent Scientology defector Mark Rathbun, was personally directly by Miscavige from church headquarters in California.

Rathbun's lawyers have tried to subpoena Miscavige for a deposition, but lawyers representing him and the church are fighting back aggressively, citing First Amendment issues, and also are trying to get Rathbun's legal team thrown off the case.

In his answer to the lawsuit, Miscavige claims he's not subject to the jurisdiction of the court because “he has no connection to Texas.”
He also asserts he had nothing to do with the mistreatment of the Rathbuns and doesn't even know the people alleged to be behind it.

In response, Rathbun's lawyers have called him a liar. They've filed a lengthy affidavit by Mark Rathbun, who worked closely with Miscavige for more than two decades, most particularly in operations against perceived enemies of the church.

Please click on the link above to read the entire article -- Mr. MacCormack has done us all a good turn by his above-average knowledge of the court filings/documents while maintaining an objective reporting style. You know, like a Journalist.

[EDIT: It appears the publisher has now required a subscription in order to read the article by Mr. MacCormack. Unless/until that requirement is banished, a click is pointless.]

JB.

 

[TG1]

I'm sure Mr. McCormack's article is good.

However, I'm not going to subscribe to his whole newspaper to read it.

Now, if his paper had a per-read rate I might do that.

 

[ChuckNorrisCutsMyLawn]

I'm sure Mr. McCormack's article is good.

However, I'm not going to subscribe to his whole newspaper to read it.

Now, if his paper had a per-read rate I might do that.

Try this link

http://www.expressnews.com/news/loc...-focuses-on-leader-of-Scientology-4813384.php

 

[JBWriter]

I'm sure Mr. McCormack's article is good.

However, I'm not going to subscribe to his whole newspaper to read it.

Now, if his paper had a per-read rate I might do that.

Wow - I'm sure sorry, TG1; no such restriction existed when I visited the site earlier to pull an excerpt or two.

Foolish move by the publisher, imo; hope they rethink that decision.

JB.

 

[suspiciousperson]

My comment is self-explanatory. As for yourself, 20 posts in 3 months? Says alot.

Dude, I did have a lulzy response lined up, but:

(A) it's obvious from your other posts here that I've read that you're a nice (guy?)
(B) this is an important thread for exscn, at least at the moment
​

Consequently: ya boo sucks!

 

[Xenu's Boyfriend]

I would LOVE IT if a black woman singlehandedly brought down the Church of Scientology and David Miscavige. Go girl.

 

[AnonKat]

Shoop by Observer at Ortegas Newsblog

 

[JBWriter]

I'm sure Mr. McCormack's article is good.

However, I'm not going to subscribe to his whole newspaper to read it.

Now, if his paper had a per-read rate I might do that.

Guess they've changed their restrictive policy, TG1, because Mr. McCormack's San Antonio-Express News article from September 13, 2013 is now once again publicly viewable here: http://www.expressnews.com/communit...ous-Scientology-hearing-continues-4842896.php

JB