The following is a short and incomplete history of Scientology's attempts to harass writers of books and suppress their work, by legal and illegal means. To keep this from being even longer than it now is, I've confined it to authors of books only, leaving aside writers and publishers of newspaper and magazine articles, as well as broadcasters.

I hope someone saves this away on a Web or FTP server. Further contributions are welcome.

from Jon Atack's _A Piece of Blue Sky_ part 8, chapter 1, "Scientology at Law", page 327:

In the 1970s, the Church fought to prevent the sale of books critical of Scientology. They failed in this attempt, but caused authors George Malko, Paulette Cooper, Cyril Vosper, and Robert Kaufman considerable difficulty (not only from the law suits: Roy Wallis, author in his _Salvation and Protest_, described the harassment he received after writing about Scientology). In 1982, Paulette Cooper, author of _The Scandal of Scientology_, testified that the Church had brought _eighteen_ suits against her. More recently Russell Miller has defended against attempts to prevent distribution of his _Bare-Faced Messiah_ in England, Canada, Australia, and the United States.

------------- Jon Atack's A PIECE OF BLUE SKY --------

from Jon Atack's _A Piece of Blue Sky_: Epilogue, page 397:

"At the end of May 1989, Scientology's New Era Publications filed suit against the publishers of this book, alleging infringement of copyright. Even the Scientologists could find no precedent in U.S. law for their demand to see the manuscript prior to publication. As Mel Wulf, the defending attorney, expressed the situation, "Such an order would...have the inevitable effect of casting a chill upon freedom of speech and of the press." His argument was in vain; in an opinion issued at the end of July, Judge Louis L. Stanton ordered delivery of the final manuscript to the Scientologists."

"In January 1990, Judge Stanton prohibited publication of _A Piece of Blue Sky_ on grounds of copyright violation. However, the appeal was successful, and the three judges ruled unanimously that the book could retain all 121 passages complained of by New Era."

----------- Russell Miller's BARE-FACED MESSIAH ---------

from Bent Corydon's _L Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman?_ (2nd edition) part 1, chapter 26, pages 266-267:

"Russell Miller is no stranger to Scientology harassment. His biography of Hubbard entitled, _The Bare-Faced Messiah_ was initially published in England several months after the release of _Messiah or Madman?_ in America. It had to contend with a number of harassive lawsuits; however Scientology was unsuccessful in stopping the book, and it was released throughout the British Commonwealth."

The book goes on to describe an attempt to frame Miller for the murder of a South London private detective, reported by the Sunday Times of London. In November 1979, a detective hired by the Church shot at a Sunday Times reporter.

"[Scientology] challenged Miller's biography in the United States on a legal technicality and won a much disputed court decision. As a result _Bare Faced Messiah_ is available in Great Britain, and throughout the United Kingdom, but difficult to find in the USA."

------------ Bent Corydon's L. RON HUBBARD: MESSIAH OR MADMAN? -------

from Corydon's book, preface, pages 11-12:

"In 1986, after the `Church' discovered that the book you are reading was being written, a roughly 6'4" 250 lb man in a black leather jacket and gloves arrived at my workplace asking for me.

"Failing to locate me, he told one of my assistants, `Since Corydon's not here, you'll do.' He then yelled, `You are standing in the way of Ron's bridge!' and proceeded to punch him in the face, and knock him around. [Footnote: This person's name is Dennis Clarke. He has since been promoted to the position of `Director' of The Citizen's Commission on Human Rights, one of Scientology's `front groups'. He now wears a suit and tie, and eye-glasses.]"

from Corydon's book, chapter 25, "Scientology's War on Your Right to Know", pages 261-4

"It became painfully obvious, during the early stages of the writing of _L. Ron Hubbard, Messiah or Madman?_ that publishing houses were AFRAID of Scientology. Scientology's army of `secret agents', goons in leather jackets, and well paid lawyers diligently carrying out Hubbard's policy of harassment through frivolous litigation, DO have an impact.

"There were many efforts made to stop _Messiah or Madman?_ from reaching publication. (These included a bizarre attempt to have Publisher Lyle Stuart jailed for refusing to provide a pre-publication copy of the book, and an unsuccessful attempt by a private investigator to bribe the printer into providing an advance copy. An attempt for which he was later arrested by the New Jersey Police.)"

Corydon goes on to discuss a number of physical threats and groundless slander and libel suits that Scientology threw at him, during his 1987 book tour, including three in a single week (See footnote, page 422.).

The church sent a letter to the _St. Petersburg Times_ (in Florida) stating the following:

"It has come to our attention that...[you] are considering publication of a review of _L. Ron Hubbard, Messiah or Madman?_ by Bent Corydon....If you forward one of his lies you will find yourself in court facing not only libel and slander charges, but also charges for conspiracy to violate civil rights. If you publish anything at all on it, you may still find yourself defending charges in court...We know a whole lot me about your institution and motives than you think." (The newspaper didn't give in, and went on to win a Columbia Journalism Review award.)

---------- Paulette Cooper's THE SCANDAL OF SCIENTOLOGY ----------

from Roy Wallis's _The Road to Total Freedom_, page 218-19:

"Forged letters and documents have proved a source of embarrassment to others who have criticized or commented on Scientology. Paulette Cooper, author of a work hostile to Scientology, was the subject of a totally defamatory circular, allegedly written by `a concerned neighbor', which sought to mobilize the tenants of her apartment block to secure her `removal from our residence, and if possible, have her put under appropriate psychiatric care.' (Representations by the Church of Scientology make it incumbent upon me to indicate that Miss Cooper's writings on Scientology have been the subject of much litigation. Sums in settlement and apologies from the publishers concerned, have been received by the Church of Scientology in respect of an article in _Queen_ magazine, and the book _The Scandal of Scientology_."

That was written in 1977. Much more became known later:

from Bent Corydon's _L Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman?_ preface, page 11:

"In 1970 Paulette Cooper wrote, and had published, a book called _The Scandal of Scientology_ containing some biographical matter on Hubbard. She was hounded by Church of Scientology agents for a decade, and at one point was almost convicted on Federal felony charges, having been framed by Church agents.

"Documents obtained by the FBI in 1977 revealed an elaborate plan to have her incarcerated, or have her driven to suicide. She finally received a large cash settlement from the Church, with the understanding that she would not press criminal charges against Scientology, and also would stop the publication of her new book on the subject."

from Jon Atack's _A Piece of Blue Sky_: part 5, chapter 1, "The Guardian Unguarded", pages 223-224:

"After the publication of her book _The Scandal of Scientology_, in 1971, Paulette Cooper became a major target for harassment. Distribution of her book was severely restricted through a series of court actions in different states, and even different countries. Cooper simply did not have the legal or financial resources to defend against all of these actions. As a result of a GO [Scientology Guardian's Office] Op she was indicted for making a bomb threat against the Church of Scientology. The GO wanted to finish her off for good. Operation Freakout was intended to put Cooper either into prison or into a mental hospital.

"A U.S. Court Sentencing Memorandum gave this description of Operation Freakout:

In its initial form Operation Freakout had three different plans. The first required a woman to imitate Paulette Cooper's voice and make telephone threats to Arab Consulates in New York. The second scheme involved mailing a threatening letter to an Arab Consulate in such a fashion that it would appear to have been done by Paulette Cooper. Finally, a Scientology field staff member was to impersonate Paulette Cooper at a laundry and threaten the President and the then Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger. A second Scientologist would thereafter advise the FBI of the threat.

"Two additional plans to Operation Freakout were added on April 13, 1976. The fourth plan called for Scientology field staff members who had ingratiated themselves with Cooper to gather information from Cooper, so that Scientology could assess the success of the first three plans. The fifth plan was for a Scientologist to warn an Arab Consulate by telephone that Paulette Cooper had been talking about bombing them.

The sixth and final part of Operation Freakout called for Scientologists to obtain Paulette Cooper's fingerprints on a blank piece of paper, type a threatening letter to Kissinger on that paper, and mail it."

[Atack cites as his source "Sentencing memorandum in U.S.A. vs. Jane Kember, District Court, DC, criminal case #78-401, page 23. Jane Kember ran the Church of Scientology's Guardian's Office from 1969 to 1981. She was sentenced to 2-6 years for "burglary, aiding and abetting."]

In addition, Atack's book contains (part 6, chapter 4, "The Clearwater Hearings", pages 278-280) a long account of writer Paulette Cooper's testimony before the City Commissioners of Clearwater, Florida, in May 1982. Cooper describes the Church's campaign of harassment against her, which included:

anonymous phone calls to her and her family anonymous leaflets sent to neighbors accusing her of being a prostitute and child molester a phony "flower delivery man" who pointed a gun at her cousin Joy, then tried to choke Joy false reports to the Attorney General's office, IRS, and other agencies sending detectives to harass her and her mother false charges that Cooper had sent bomb threats, causing her to be indicted (eventually, the charges were dropped) stealing her medical records breaking into her lawyer's office

Quoting from Atack, page 280:

"It took over two years for the bomb threat charges against Cooper to be dropped. She was completely exonerated after the FBI found the GO [Scientology Guardian's Office] Orders for the Ops against her. By that time her book, _The Scandal of Scientology_, had long been out of print. The Guardian's Office had even imported small quantities into foreign countries, so they could obtain injunctions against its distribution. Copies were stolen from libraries and bought up from used book shops, then destroyed."

Another account of Cooper's testimony can be found in Bent Corydon's _L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman?_, in part 1, chapter 14: "Freaking Out Paulette: A Six Year Operation to Drive a Journalist Insane", pages 172-178.

-----------Cyril Vosper's THE MIND BENDERS ---------

from Roy Wallis's _The Road to Total Freedom_, page 205:

"Books critical of Scientology have often been the subject of extensive litigation. At one stage in the litigation connected with Cyril Vosper's _The Mind Benders_, a High Court judge was reported as saying of applications by the Church of Scientology that its author and a newspaper editor be committed to prison for contempt of court, that these actions were deliberately taken `to try and stifle any criticism or inquiry into their [the Church of Scientology's] affairs." [Footnote: _Daily Telegraph_, 4 March 1972.]

from Wallis, page 219:

"Cyril Vosper alleges that a copy of his manuscript disappeared from his lodgings, and, while on holiday in Spain, he was questioned by the police when they opened a parcel addressed to the place in which he was staying, containing obscene caricatures of General Franco."

-----------Robert Kaufman's INSIDE SCIENTOLOGY ---------

from Roy Wallis's _The Road to Total Freedom_, page 219-220:

"Olympia Press, the publishers of Robert Kaufman's _Inside Scientology_, were also attacked by means of forged documents. These documents, circulated to newsagents and booksellers, were written on headed Olympia notepaper. They suggested that in the light of litigation in which Olympia was involved, all stocks of the firm's books should be returned for cash refunds. A further forged letter purportedly emanating from Olympia's accountants, claimed that Olympia was going into liquidation. The officers of Olympia have also alleged that illegal entry was made to their premises, that galley proofs of Kaufman's book were stolen from the printers, and that their files were tampered with." [Footnote: _The Observer_ (London newspaper), 29 July 1973]

"Kaufman, who is also a musician, found that his booking for a concert hall was cancelled mysteriously prior to a performance. While he was appearing on a `phone-in' radio programme, a man telephoned, alleging that he had been a male nurse in a psychiatric hospital in which Kaufman had been a patient. He claimed to have seen Kaufman's psychiatric records and alleged that Kaufman had been diagnosed as a `paranoid schizophrenic with castration fears and homosexual tendencies.'

---------- George Malko's SCIENTOLOGY: THE NOW RELIGION -----------

from Paulette Cooper's _The Scandal of Scientology_, pages 70-71:

"On September 30, 1970, it was reported in the _New York Post_ that the Scientologists were suing Delacourt Publishers and author George Malko for a book they did on Scientology."

from Roy Wallis's _The Road to Total Freedom_:

page 7 footnote: (following a list of books he consulted) "It should be noted that of these works, that by Burrell was withdrawn shortly after it appeared, and the publishers of the works by Cooper and Malko have undertaken not to reprint them."

page 22 footnote: "Malko's book has been withdrawn by its publishers who also paid a legal settlement."

--------- Roy Wallis, author of THE ROAD TO TOTAL FREEDOM ---------

Wallis, page 219:

"Following the distribution of an article by the present writer [Wallis], commenting on Scientology, a young man, later discovered to have been a Scientology staff member, visited the author at a university at which he was employed. He used a false name and sought to win the author's confidence. He was later found to have made personal inquiries of students and others concerning the author. Shortly following this visit, forged letters bearing official letter headings were received by various individuals, designed to be a source of inconvenience and embarassment to the author. The young man who visited the university later appeared in Scientology publications as a graduate of a Saint Hill course." [Footnote: This and similar cases are discussed in Roy Wallis, `Religious sects and the fear of publicity', New Society (7 June 1973), pp. 545-7.]

---------- BIBLIOGRAPHY ---------

Jon Atack, A Piece of Blue Sky. Carol Publishing, NYC, 1990.

Maurice Burrell, Scientology: What It Is And What It Does. Lakeland, London, 1970.

Paulette Cooper, The Scandal of Scientology. Tower Publications, NYC, 1971

Bent Corydon, L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman? 2nd edition, Barricade Books, Fort Lee, NJ, 1992.

Robert Kaufman, Inside Scientology. Olympia Press, London & NYC, 1972.

George Malko, Scientology: The Now Religion. Delacourte Press, NYC, 1970

Russell Miller, Bare-Faced Messiah. Michael Joseph, London, 1987.

Cyril Vosper, The Mind Benders. Neville Spearman, London, 1971.

Roy Wallis, The Road to Total Freedom. Columbia University Press, NYC, 1977.

-- Ron Newman MIT Media Laboratory rnewman@media.mit.edu

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