http://www.valleystar.com/files/n209136.htm
Updated 09/12/2002 23:20:15 CST
EEOC: Employees illegally fired
Valley Morning Star
HARLINGEN - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed
a lawsuit on behalf of former employees of Harlingen Family Dentistry
who refused to attend training courses reportedly containing
Scientology doctrine.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Brownsville, alleges
religious discrimination and retaliation against the workers.
According to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, scientology is "a
religious movement begun in 1952 by L. Ron Hubbard which teaches
immortality and reincarnation and claims a sure psychotherapeutic
method for freeing the individual from personal problems, increasing
human abilities -- and speeding recovery from sickness, injury, and
mental disorder."
The EEOC's lawsuit claims that since October 1999, Rosemary DeLeon,
Griselda Garcia, Maria Carrizales and other dental clinic employees
were mistreated in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The dental clinic is accused in the lawsuit of forcing workers to
attend training lectures that include Hubbard's teachings.
"Employees who objected to or refused to attend these courses because
of their religious content were subjected to various adverse
employment actions and were ultimately fired," the EEOC said in a news
release.
"The EEOC also alleges that HFD retaliated against an employee simply
for making a religious discrimination complaint with the EEOC," the
EEOC said.
The lawsuit asks for compensation for past and future lost wages,
punitive damages, costs of retraining and job searches, as well as
reimbursement of the EEOC's legal costs.
Nemecio Lopez, an attorney representing Harlingen Family Dentistry,
said the accusations are false and called the EEOC action lawsuit
abuse.
Disgruntled employees filed the lawsuit out of greed, Lopez said.
Dentist Juan Villarreal heads the clinic and local residents will see
the case is groundless when all the facts come out, Lopez said.
"Harlingen Family Dentistry is an excellent organization," Lopez said.
"It employs over 80 employees. It has been in existence for more than
19 years. It has state-of-the-art dental care."
The clinic supports its neighbors, Lopez said. "It has a big impact in
our community," he said. "Because of its great success, it's been a
very charitable institution. Yearly, it gives scholarships and
donations to different organizations."
Lopez said that there is no scientology doctrine or material in
courses for employees.
By ALLEN ESSEX
[Note: The
Scientology®
organization has at best estimate approximately
45,000 to 50,000 followers world wide -- contrary to the 8 million figure
that the organization has been claiming for the past few years or so.
While that number continues to drop (thanks in part to the Internet) few
of the remaining followers are even aware of the unending series of police
raids, indictments, and prison terms their leaders and fellow cultists are
subjected to routinely. Few are allowed to know about their organization's
criminal history, or its current racketeering activities. Even fewer of
the cult's remaining followers are privy to their messiah's written
policies which dictates the criminal behavior that keeps getting their
organization raided (see Xenu.NET for
suitable references of Scientology policy) Scientology management
is the problem, not the thousands of honest believers who are good,
honest citizens; themselves victims of Scientology - flr]
The name "Narconon"® is trademarked to the Scientology organization through one of their many front groups. The name "Scientology"® is also trademarked to the "Church" of Scientology. Neither this web page, nor this web site, nor any of the individuals mentioned herein assisting to educate the public about the dangers of the Narconon scam are members of or representitives of the Scientology organization.
E-Mail Fredric L. Rice / The Skeptic Tank