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Woman alleges medical issues stem from Scientology program at Narconon drug rehab

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Woman alleges medical issues stem from Scientology program at Narconon drug rehab center

MlIVE: Woman alleges medical issues stem from Scientology program at drug rehab center

http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2015/11/lawsuits_allege_albion_rehab_f.html

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ALBION, MI – A Clinton Township woman alleges she vomits blood and has a swollen abdomen as a result of her forced participation in a sauna program likened to a Church of Scientology ritual at an addiction treatment facility in Albion.

Candice Tyler was eventually in the sauna five hours a day while taking Niacin, also known as vitamin B3 or nicontinic acid, and had an allergic reaction, which lead to headaches. She started coughing blood and was taken in early 2013 to a hospital emergency room, according to a lawsuit filed in March against Narconon Freedom Center.

It is pending in Calhoun County Circuit Court, demands a jury trial, and asks for more than $25,000 in damages.

The suit is one of many lawsuits involving California-based Narconon International, which has facilities around the country and is the licensor of the freedom center. One other similar lawsuit is pending in Calhoun County and another, dismissed in federal court for jurisdictional reasons, is to be re-filed in county court on behalf of Lauren Prevec of Ohio.

Prevec contended the center charged $25,000 before skipping a medical assessment, taking her off medication and attempting to indoctrinate her to Scientology

Tyler alleges while she was at the center for treatment of cocaine and alcohol dependencies, she had to adhere to a strict program that involved the study of L. Ron Hubbard, the Scientology founder, and take part in the sauna program, termed "New Life Detoxification," regardless of the physical harms that might be rendered.

Instead of promised treatment in a nonreligious facility, she received Scientology instruction, the lawsuit alleges. It claims the center falsely represented a 70 to 80 percent success rate, luring people to their facility to bring them into Scientology.

The freedom center denies these and most of Tyler's allegations. It admits the use of some Hubbard writings, but says it is untrue the center set up a program based on the teachings of Hubbard and the Church of Scientology, according to court documents.

When contacted by a reporter, the center had an attorney answer any inquiries. Kathleen Klaus, who represents the center, did not believe it appropriate to discuss the allegations. She instead provided her answer to the complaint, which was filed in court.

She said Narconon International and the Association for Better Living and Education, which Tyler's lawsuit says oversees the drug rehabilitation, education and criminal justice activities of the Church of Scientology, have been dismissed as defendants from Tyler's suit. Both do business outside of Michigan.

Tyler's complaint details a number of seemingly bizarre required center activities, such as looking up words like "doingness," "misemotion" and "reelingness" for hours in Scientology or Hubbard dictionaries.

"You sound crazy when you talk about it," said Indianapolis attorney Jonathan Little, one of the lawyers representing Tyler and her friend John Debay, who found the center on the internet, put Tyler into treatment and helped pay for her $33,500 stays.

Little and his associates have been a part of less than 20 lawsuits against Narconon, which have usually resulted in settlements. Every week, he said his firm receives 30 to 50 calls from others who wish to sue, but he does not have the resources to pursue most of them.

"At best they are getting ripped off because they are getting Scientology. At worst, they are getting hurt," Little said of Narconon clients.

Tyler's lawsuit and others talk about the sauna treatment, which has patients exercise vigorously before ingesting vitamins and spend hours in a sauna at temperatures between 160 and 180 degrees.

The lawsuit contends the program is similar or the same as a Scientology ritual known as "Purification Rundown" and argues the portended benefits do not withstand scientific scrutiny.

The center admits only that its method involves a sauna and vitamin consumption. It denies the other allegations and calls its program safe and effective.

Of Tyler's contentions about her resulting health concerns, the center says Tyler often left the facility for "medical emergencies," but it is "without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth" of Tyler's allegations and it "therefore denies them," often-repeated phrases in the answer to her complaint.

Tyler alleges the medical staff was fully aware of her reactions to the treatment after multiple hospital stays, but told her if she did not restart the sauna program, she would not finish the program and her failure would be reported to the court.

Tyler had gotten into some criminal trouble and, after an initial, voluntary visit, returned to the center to avoid jail time.

The center says it was under obligation to inform court authorities if she did not complete treatment, but denies her other claims.

Tyler and Debay claim the center falsely represented that its patients would undergo safe, medical detoxification with medical supervision. In reality, most of its staff members had only completed the program in the previous few months and have no formal healthcare training, such as nursing or addiction counseling, the lawsuit alleges. The center admits it employs former students but denies that they have no formal training.


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