Scientology Workplace Lawsuit Involves NJ Councilman

ScienceBlogs.com ~ A couple years ago a dentist in Chicago was sued -- successfully -- for forcing Scientology on his employees. Now a similar suit has been filed in New Jersey against a businessman who is also a local politician.

John Buckley, owner & CEO of Open House Direct, which describes itself as, a corporate health and wellness company that provides health-related services, such as health fairs, screenings, vaccination clinics and "stress down'' events. Buckley co-owns the firm with Maria Leamy. Both Buckley[04] and Leamy[01] have been/are members of the Scientology business front group, WISE. More about them later.

Here are some of the accusations:

Three former employees -- Maurice Grays, John Knapp and Larry Kolakowski -- last month filed suit in Superior Court seeking legal relief, claiming they were victims of a hostile work environment and retaliation at the company on Hamilton Street...

Grays began work with the company as an exhibitor sales specialist in January 2006, according to the suit filed by attorney Ronald Wronko of Florham Park. During the hiring process, Grays was required to take several "entrance examinations based on the teachings of the Church of Scientology'' because the company used Scientology-based literature to train employees on sales and business administration, according to the lawsuit.

In 2006, Grays attended several Scientology courses at the Church of Scientology in New York City with the understanding they would assist him in his job.

Two months after receiving a favorable work evaluation and a raise, Grays separated from his wife in November 2007 and Open House Direct loaned him $1,300 to find a new apartment and $1,000 to pay bills. But Buckley and Leamy "began harassing'' Grays to become a Scientologist, the lawsuit charges.

The two owners then tried to compel Grays to take a course called "Purification Rundown'' as a condition of his employment. According to the lawsuit, the purpose of the course, which Grays refused to take, was to remove toxins from the body.

After Buckley and Leamy continued to pressure him to take the course as a "quid pro quo'' of his employment, Grays took the course and the company charged the tuition to Grays as additional debt, the lawsuit alleges.

Grays also was "forced against his will'' to purchase a library of Scientology books and its cost also was added to his debt, according to the lawsuit.

In spring 2008, Buckley asked Grays for a $5,000 donation to the Church of Scientology, but Grays refused and no longer attended any courses outside the work environment that he believed were for "a purely religious purpose,'' the suit contends.

Grays was fired in December 2008 "because of his refusal to become a member of the Church of Scientology,'' the suit alleges.

Back to WISE, or World Institute of Scientology Enterprises. This is one of as many as 260 front groups that may or may not profess a direct link to Scientology.

As reported here last September, Mark Bunker, of xenuTV, video taped an interview (in 2001) with a chiropractor and his wife describe how Scientology lured them in through management courses and ultimately harmed their business and their lives by sending them into bankruptcy.
Watch the interview, and see if you can find anything similar to the lawsuit brought against John Buckley and his company. I think you'll be very surprised. Also, be sure to read the comments at the base of this article.

'WISE'ing Up To Scientology's Front Group Fraud Parts 1-5 [34:30]