Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Lawsuit Charges Scientology Is Responsible For Man's Suicide
Saturday's St. Petersburg (FL) Times reported on a new lawsuit filed in federal district court in Tampa (FL) against the Church of Scientology and against three individuals. The wrongful death lawsuit seeks damages for the death of Kyle Brennan who committed suicide while visiting his father, a Scientologist who lives in Clearwater (FL). Brennan's mother blames Scientology for the death. The lawsuit alleges that Denise Gentile, twin sister of the Scientology's worldwide leader David Miscavige, (along with her husband Gerald Gentile) convinced Brennan's father to take away Kyle's antidepressant medication. Scientology is strongly opposed to psychiatry and psychiatric medications. The lawyer handling the case, Ken Dandar, previously won a confidential settlement in another long-running high profile wrongful death suit against the Church of Scientology.