Blowing the whistle on blackmail and coercion

By Lana Mitchell

Last year, I declared my independence on Marty’s blog. It was a decision of my own, based on my experiences and reality. I was, at that time, a declared SP. I had worked in the Sea Org for 17 years - leaving in 2005, and have been living in Australia since 2005, with my husband of 22 years.

My husband does not share my views on the Church, nor on DM – possibly due to the fact that we had very different career paths and posts in the SO.  I heard and saw much, particularly during my tenure in RTC and then later on RTC service lines, which he did not see or experience. His only real experiences with Marty Rathbun were receiving ethics interviews on the meter.  I decided some time ago that trying to talk to my husband about the Indie’s was impossible as he had clearly communicated that in his view, Mike, Marty, Claire, Amy and many others who have spoken out publicly (as whistle blowers), are twisting and fabricating stories so that they can line their own pockets financially (not that these people HAVE been paid a cent for their stories – but in his head – they have).

The announcement of my independence had some interesting ramifications.

Firstly, I was contacted by a number of people, welcoming me.  

Secondly, I found myself under attack and having to defend my views and reality. I will try not to make this too long-winded – but I think the story needs to be told.

Some months earlier, in 2010, I had received an email communication from Danny Barram. I had worked with Danny at various points in my SO career. He had a small baby (then 6 months old) and was apparently no longer on staff, in good standing and working for a local Scientologist in the US. I did not solicit emails from Danny and several times informed him that I was declared and he should not be writing me. Despite this, every few weeks I would get another email from him, cheerily asking me how things were going. At various points he would ask me what my views were on the church, and I stated that I was a fence sitter – that I was undecided on where I stood. I did not tell him that I had, however, been reading and contributing to Marty’s blog for some time.

With my declared independence, I answered one of Danny’s emails with my decision, and told him not to write me anymore. He responded with a bunch of questions on why I had this view, and when I wrote back with my answers I got back a severe response (which I later learned was written by Marion Pouw formerly of RTC) reproaching me, name calling, and so on. The email was completely entheta.

Danny then sent the email thread to my husband. There was an argument that ensued. Several days went by without Mitch talking to me. Then, on a Sunday morning, he said he had to go to work (he is a Project Manager in the construction industry) and would not be back till after lunch. He returned that afternoon and informed me that he had spent the morning with Mike Sutter and Marion Pouw -- and they were coming to dinner that night. I did not agree that they were being brought into my home. Nothing said would resolve it, and Mike and Marion showed up just as the kids were being put to bed. They stayed for more than 5 hours.

It is an awkward situation to be in, to have 3 people with one reality, against 1 with a different reality.  It was also disturbing to me that it was taking place in my home, in my living room, and with the sanction of my husband. Mitch however said to me that he was drawing a line in the sand. He told me that either I recanted as an Indie and took action to remedy the situation, or our marriage was over. More on this later…

I listened to several hours of dead-agenting efforts by Mike Sutter and was astounded that he would not respond to any of my questions about the scene at Int – simply going on and on about how wonderful the Idle orgs are, how incredible the expansion is, and so on. I got no-answers to questions like, “Are people still in the Hole?”  “What WDC members are actually on post?”  “What semblance of International Management still exists?”

They left late into the night and returned the next evening for another 4 – 5 hour discussion. It became clear that they were not going anywhere. They were going to just keep coming back and back. Meanwhile, my husband had made it clear that if I did not recant, that our marriage was over.

I decided that the most survival route – while still maintaining my integrity, was to find a way to get them out of my house.  I told them about my story in the Sea Org, and about 3 specific instances of injustice that have been upsetting to me for a long time, and I agreed to “follow standard justice lines” and request a Comm Ev to look into these three things. This seemed to make all happy – and over the next day I wrote up a (very lengthy) request for a Comm Ev and passed it on.

Now, in saying this, I wish to clarify what was behind my decision to do this. I felt that the Church was firmly playing my husband against me and thus I was blackmailed. My husband had been the chief bread winner in our household, and we have two small children (at that time they were 1 yrs and 4 yrs old).  We have a home that we built and love, and we have a large mortgage.  Mitch had clearly stated to me that either I cooperate or the marriage is over – and I could not see how I, or the children, could survive alone.

Further, during my 17 years in the Sea Org, there were many efforts to drive a stake between Mitch and myself.  In addition to the many years when were posted in different orgs in different locations (from ANZO, to LA, to Int), there was also the time when I was in RTC and ordered to divorce Mitch (after he had been restricted to the base and unable to come home at night for over a year). Again, when I was busted from RTC, I was restricted (again, for almost a year) – so we barely saw each other. Then, later still, when I was offloaded from the Int base (unjustly) our communications were tampered with for months and he was told to divorce me several times. He finally decided to blow to come and find me (I had been sent to the PAC Ranch), but he chickened out and turned himself in, only to then be sent to the PAC RPF for considering a blow. So – our marriage has been checked by efforts to split us up – and I decided that I was not going to let the Church finally win and achieve this objective. My postulate for my marriage was still there – despite the many problems and issues that Mitch and I were having since we returned to Australia. We got married in 1988 – when we were still teenagers. I am now 43 years old.

So... back to the story with Mike Sutter and Marion Pouw showing up night after night…

I told them I would go ahead requesting a Comm Ev, at which point they immediately stated that a Comm Ev would not look kindly on my postings on Marty’s blog – and I would have to provide proof that I was no longer connected and take all efforts to get my postings removed.

I provided communications to Mike Sutter that satisfied him, and wrote an article about following standard justice lines to get situations handled.  My article was not useful as dead-agent material and I was asked to include DA material that they had provided on Marty, but I disagreed and finally they agreed with a proposal from myself that they create a new site that is just for people wanting to follow the standard justice lines to try and sort out their individual situations. Mike was happy with this idea and they left and a few months later a website was born.

My article was posted on the home page – with my full name at the bottom. There were many other articles and testimonials included on the site, but every other one was anonymous.  I found out later from other Indie’s that my article was posted on many different sites, not just this one, but was not informed of this by Mike Sutter. Clearly my letter was something that OSA used to encourage other ex-staff (SP Declared) to come on side and NOT get involved in the Indie movement.

The Comm Evs were held for both Mitch and myself by OSA Int staff. As expected, our SP declares were cancelled as they were off-policy (surprise, surprise!). My off-load from the Int base was also deemed to be off-policy (stats were in Affluence, no Comm Ev, no Court of Ethics). My Comm Ev also stated that I had participated in “natter and black PR on an anti-Church blog and on 16 June I publicly resigned from the Church). They found me guilty of “Public disavowal of Scientology or Scientologists in good standing with Scientology organisations”, and ordered me to a sec check.

Interestingly enough, when I went back to have a look at my earlier postings on Marty’s blog that so upset my husband, Mike Sutter, Marion Pouw, the Comm Ev and others, my postings simply say that I am a Scientologist – that I apply tech to my life and that I have found it truly does work. I have also given specific information on situations that I experienced first-hand that were off-policy, out-tech and out-KSW.  I have given truthful accounts of what I have seen and heard. I have not exaggerated, I have not twisted and distorted information – I have simply reported what I consider needs to be known.  

I found, after being off the Int base and out of the SO, that I was actually able to destimulate and get exterior to the insanity that was going on – and that enabled me to actually recognise the cause of the situation and see the WHO behind it.  I consider it a responsibility of mine to make my information and stories known – as if I don’t then I am simply non-confronting the magnitude of the situation.

I am fully aware of what Black PR is. Back in the mid 1990s I was the investigator that found that the Truth Rundown had been lost, and I ran a program to get it being used again, along with RB tech.  I am very familiar with what natter is –  and it is simply overts and withholds speaking.

None of my postings on any website to date have been Black PR or natter. They have been truthful reports about incidents and situations that Corporate Scientology does not want to have people know about – so they try to silence me and anyone else who speaks out.

I was not surprised to find my Comm Ev was just a white wash, a rubber stamp and an effort to get me on-side and silenced.

And even when that was issued, in December of last year, I worked hard to try and repair my marriage of 22 years, in an effort to salvage it and return ARC to what it once was.

After several months it became clear that the situation was not resolving.  We had continued rows and upsets and then early this year, after an in-depth discussion about our failing marriage, my husband said to me  “You haven’t even thanked me for what I did.  You haven’t thanked me for getting our SP Declares lifted. You haven’t thanked me for getting Mike Sutter and Marion Pouw to come here.  You might as well have been a heroin druggy with a needle stuck in your arm – and it was ME that saved your life – and you haven’t even thanked me!”

That communication said it all for me.

My only response was “Why would I thank someone who ambushed me and forced me to go against my own reality?”

His eyes were wide in disbelief.

I was in disbelief that I was wasting my time trying to resurrect a marriage that was clearly so far gone.  And at that point I decided to go with what I know and to go with my integrity.  I refuse to be muzzled. I refuse to be blackmailed any further. And I refuse to be controlled by a corrupt organization that does not want its crimes known.

Mitch moved out of our home at the beginning of April. Both parties agree that the marriage is over and is irreconcilable and we are currently working our way through the necessary mediation and settlement process.

Interestingly enough, Mitch was informed by OSA when it was thought I was posting on Marty’s blog again and I received an antagonistic and entheta email from him, telling me to stop living in the past and to stop endangering his eternity, and the eternity of our children.

He has not realized yet that he will never get his eternity from Corporate Scientology. He has his eternity regardless of that organisation – and if he is wanting freedom, he certainly won’t get it with them.

If there was any question as to my current status – let me be wholly clear here - particularly for Mitch. I am an independent Scientologist. I believe in LRH tech. I know it works. I refuse to let a psycho SP midget bring down the house of cards – and I will not be muzzled.

To be continued...  Next instalment coming after July 4.

Lana Mitchell