When cults and corporate execs collide...

[Andonyx]

Of course it's two employees suing a former employer, so what really happened remains to be seen, but still...good story:

Supervisors who were members of a "new age" cult at an Exxon Mobil Corp. laboratory in Baytown harassed and fired workers who rebuffed cult recruitment efforts, according to a lawsuit filed by a former laboratory employee.

William McCracken, 63, of Houston alleges that he and at least two other employees at the Exxon Baytown Olefins Plant laboratory were fired for failing to seek counseling and undergo healing rituals administered by a cult leader.

McCracken, a lab technician employed by Kelly Services and assigned to work at the laboratory, is suing Exxon Mobil and Kelly Services for an unspecified amount in damages for religious discrimination and retaliation.

The lawsuit filed this week alleges that Exxon Mobil and Kelly Services failed to investigate McCracken's complaints about the activities of employees who "adhered to certain spiritual, religious teachings of (the cult leader) and a `new age' belief system, including a practice known as Reiki."

from here:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2307067

The thing is, I can totally believe this. I used to work audio for a popular television show, and the host of that show ran things only slightly less scarily than the description above.

I didn't last long there as you might imagine.

 

[hgc]

...
The thing is, I can totally believe this. I used to work audio for a popular television show, and the host of that show ran things only slightly less scarily than the description above.

I didn't last long there as you might imagine.

Now, now. You can't come in here and tell us that without naming names (what television host?) and giving a little more detail. Thanks in advance for the tasty gossip.

 

[Marc]

Could have been worse, could have been infested with Scientologists, the way the Totally Fun Company was. Unfortunatly I could not find Patricia Greenway's full story anymore.

The company's CEO, Peter Alexander, and his wife were both Scientologists. The company was a member of WISE (World Institute of Scientology Enterprises) using Hubbard's Management Training. Patricia was an executive who became alarmed at how many of the executives seem to be acting rather robotic, and other unusual behaviors. She started doing some research on Scientology. On a business trip with Peter she presented tons of evidence as to the cults real nature, which lead to his departure from the cult.

While trying to eliminate the cult influence they found that members were filing Knowledge Reports on them. Knowledge Reports are just one way members are encouraged to act as spies and snitches for the cult. Oh, they try to claim WISE businesses are not affiliated with the church, but actions taken by Patricia in the company still seemed to end up in Church files. Big Brother Hubbard is watching you.

 

[Andonyx]

Re: Re: When cults and corporate execs collide...

Now, now. You can't come in here and tell us that without naming names (what television host?) and giving a little more detail. Thanks in advance for the tasty gossip.

Nope, sorry. This host is also notoriously litigious.

Finally in all fairness, it would be irrseponsible as:

1) It really isn't as bad as the above story, just a case of management and owner taken in by a lot of semi-spiritual, inspirational management crap. (Weekend retreats with all sorts of ceremonies, and such. Reading papers and inspirational literature....)

2. Most of this happened on a management level, and I was a regular peon... So 90% was told to me by other disenchanted management, not directly experienced by myself.

But the pressure to buy into this stuff was pretty extreme.

 

[Hexxenhammer]

You're in Chicago correct? My guess is Oprah. No need to confirm or deny.

 

[Soapy Sam]

"McCracken, a lab technician employed by Kelly Services and assigned to work at the laboratory, is suing Exxon Mobil and Kelly Services for an unspecified amount in damages for religious discrimination and retaliation. "

Andonyx- what is meant by the word "retaliation" in this sentence? Who is retaliating against whom and in what sense?

 

[hgc]

Could have been worse, could have been infested with Scientologists, the way the Totally Fun Company was.

...

Hey, thanks for that link about Totally Fun Company. On the site was a copy of the letter they sent to the city of Clearwater explaining their decision to move away. Here's a part...

... the downtown area has taken on the look and feel of a military base. The presence of thousands of uniformed Scientologists and their "security police" swarming the downtown area is not only oppressive to those of us who have to work here, but is especially disconcerting to our clients that come here to our offices to meet with us.

We are thoroughly embarrassed by the look and feel of the downtown area when we receive visitors to our offices, (visitors, I might add, who represent all aspects of the entertainment industry and who are flying in from all parts of the world) when we are forced to explain this blatant para-military presence. It's simply an unacceptable climate in which to expose our clients.

...

So go about in uniform? They have their own police force? Looks like they have their own Rajneeshpuram, but without the orange robes. Anyone ever been to Clearwater?

 

[Andonyx]

"McCracken, a lab technician employed by Kelly Services and assigned to work at the laboratory, is suing Exxon Mobil and Kelly Services for an unspecified amount in damages for religious discrimination and retaliation. "

Andonyx- what is meant by the word "retaliation" in this sentence? Who is retaliating against whom and in what sense?

Very good question.

I have to assume that since both "discimination" and "retlaiation" are treated as objects of the same preposition (for), that since "discrimination" is alleged to have been practiced by the company, they are also claiming the company fired them and threatened retaliation for refusing to go along with their psuedo-religious claptrap.

But it's not 100% clear is it..

 

[Marc]

The Scientology eliet are an internal organization called the Sea Org. They often wear naval style dress uniforms. Plus there are the scientology personal security people. They dress and act like cops. Not good cops though, if you are not a scientologist and are taking photos downtown you can expect them to start asking you questions, keeping an eye on you. Not that it is needed with a few hundred security cams watching all the streets downtown.

 

[CFLarsen]

The Scientology eliet are an internal organization called the Sea Org. They often wear naval style dress uniforms. Plus there are the scientology personal security people. They dress and act like cops. Not good cops though, if you are not a scientologist and are taking photos downtown you can expect them to start asking you questions, keeping an eye on you. Not that it is needed with a few hundred security cams watching all the streets downtown.

Read the haunting story of a defector from SeaOrg, Dan Garvin. He was a speaker at TAM1, and has the most hilarious "..and all I got was this lousy T-shirt".

 

[Prester John]

That scientology stuff is frightening, any more good links on it? (the sites i have seen so far all seem to be under legal assault.)

 

[Marc]

That scientology stuff is frightening, any more good links on it? (the sites i have seen so far all seem to be under legal assault.)

That is because they are presenting good evidence. Scientology doesn't want the truth about them out there, so they attack in any way they can. As Hubbard wrote "The purpose of the lawsuit is not to win but to harrass"

Good places to go:

Operation Clambake
A Piece of Blue Sky - online copy of a book detailing the cult's history
Bare Faced Messiah - unofficial biography

too bad Anti-Cult's site doesn't seem to be around anymore. That had pretty much every radio and tv news piece on the cult all the way back to '62.

 

[UnrepentantSinner]

Not to go off on too far a tangent, but I was just looking at the EEOC poster in the breakroom and it prompted a hypothetical.

If I were an employer and some of my Wiccan employees asked to use a conference room to hold "skyclad" worship and I told them, "o.k., but not the fat ones" would I be guilty of sexual or religious discrimination?