🚀 go-pugleaf

[ Article crossposted from alt.religion.scientology ]
[ Author was cultxpt@primenet.com ]
[ Posted on 5 Aug 1997 09:40:01 -0700 ]

  I have no idea of the outcome of this suit because I have no follow
up articles.  I did not know that Applied Scholastics also teaches
Hubbard Tech to businesses.


ALLEGED SCIENTOLOGY LINK PROMPTS SUIT

Hemet (California) News 7/29/92

SANTA CLARA - A group hired to teach communication and time-management

skills to employees of Applied Materials were apprently recruiters for

the Church of Scientology, three former employees claim in a lawsuit.

Trial proceedings began Tuesday as lawyers for both sides argued
motions before Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Frank Cliff.

In their suit, former employees Steven Hunziker, Virginia Sanders and 
Kate Schuchmann allege that Applied Materials hired an outside firm to

teach workers communication and time-management skills.

But the seminar firm, Applied Scholastics of Fremont, was really a 
recruitment arm of the Church of Scientology, a religious group that
has been accused of financially exploiting followers and ruthlessly 
attacking critics, according to the suit. When they refused to take
the courses, the employees claim, they were driven out of the company.
They also allege that the seminars violated their religious freedom.

The central issue in the case is whether the firm retaliated against
the employees after they refused to take part in the workshops.

Applied Materials has flatly denied the charges, saying it was not
aware that the seminars had any link to Scientology.

The classes were dropped in October 1988 after workers complained.

Lawyers for Applied Materials have asked that any reference to 
Scientology be excluded from the trial.

"Allowing such evidence would place (the company) in the untenable 
position of... appearing to defend the Church of Scientology, which it

has absolutely no interest in doing," lawyer Cynthia L. Remmers said
in court papers.

But attorneys for the former employees said Scientology is at the
heart of the lawsuit.


"These (people) were forcibly exposed to Church of Scientology courses

by Applied Materials, and when they complained about it, they got 
harassed and criticized and threatened until conditions became so 
intolerable that they were forced to resign," said John C. Elstead,
co-counsel for clients Sanders and Schuchmann.