Scientology Expose Sheds New Light on Member's Death

The death of a Dallas follower continues to haunt the Church of Scientology with questions of malpractice and abuse.

WASHINGTON (Catholic Online) - The church of John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Tom Cruise and other celebrities is under the lens of the St. Petersburg Times. The Church of Scientology, often the object of suspicion and scandal, is also implicated in the death of a Dallas woman.

In the second installment of a three-part series on Scientology, new light has been shed on the death of Lisa McPherson, who worked for a company owned by fellow Scientologists. Marty Rathbun, a "defector" (former member) who was a part of the inner circle, told reporters Thomas Tobin and Joe Childs that her death was a debacle from the very beginning.

McPherson, 36, a follower since she was 18, had been experiencing some emotional problems and submitted to counseling in 1995. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board for Scientology's highest governmental body, was involved in McPherson's treatment. Just weeks before her mental breakdown, the leader determined that she had reached an enhanced mental state Scientologists call "clear.''

A few weeks later, in late November, she experienced a more severe mental breakdown that became evident when she was involved in a minor traffic accident. Doctors at the hospital where she was taken discussed having her go through psychiatric evaluation.

She refused treatment and was released. McPherson then placed herself under the care of Scientology counselors. Seventeen days later she was dead.

Scientology leaders have tried to make the death go away for years. Rathbun told the Times that he had long taken the public position that the church did nothing wrong. According to his most recent interview, the woman's care was a debacle from the start.

It was a "perfect storm of incompetence and irresponsibility" within the church, he said to Times reporters. "You couldn't justify it.''

Rathbun stated that the church sent a representative to McPherson's funeral in Dallas and was authorized to offer to her mother, Fannie, whatever she wanted. The offer was refused, reportedly because the family didn't trust them.

"Whether it was financially or any other thing," Rathbun stated, "we're taking care of that woman because it was on our watch. If she needed $5 million, we would have come up with $5 million."

An attorney for Scientology, Monique Yingling, told the times that a settlement agreement with the family prohibits further discussion. She stated that Rathbun, himself, was the one to blame and possibly caused the whole thing.

Scientology utilizes unorthodox approaches to counseling, including a technique called auditing. Adherents travel to Clearwater, Florida from around the world to be "audited." They receive deluxe accommodations and an appointment with one of the church's "Class 12" auditors at a rate of $1,000 an hour.

All session rooms were under video surveillance from a control room where one of the leaders would monitor the sessions.

The story of Scientology's navigation through the aftermath of McPherson's death reads like a novel of intrigue, involving alleged accusation, destruction of evidence, pressure tactics, and possible pay offs.

The article in the St. Petersburg Times can be found at: http://www.tampabay.com/news/article1012234.ece.

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Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online and President of the Catholic Media Association. He is a former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal church who laid aside that ministry to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church.

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