Attorneys for CRAIG BRANCH and WATCHMAN FELLOWSHIP
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
DEE ROWE AND S. GLOVER ROWE, Plaintiffs
vs.
CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY, ORANGE COUNTY, et.al., Defendants
vs.
CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY, ORANGE COUNTY, - Cross Complaint,
Plaintiffs
vs.
DEE ROWE, S. GLOVER ROWE, CRAIG BRANCH, TOM HUTCHINSON,
CAROL HUTCHINSON, WATCHMAN FELLOWSHIP, AND DOES 101-200,
Inclusive Cross-Defendants
CASE NO.: BC038955
DECLARATION IN SUPPORT OF SUMMARY JUDGMENT
I, the undersigned, declare as follows:
I, Angie Chandler, reside at (omitted for confidentiality ) and am over the age of twenty-one (21). In late October of 1988 I came home to Athens, Alabama from Boston, Mass. with my parents. I believe my little sister rode home with us. When we got home they tried right away to say that I would not go back to Boston to the church that I was in. I said no, that I was going back as soon as I was through with rehab from an automobile accident and I explained why. Anyway, that started a lot of arguments and a lot of fighting and screaming. They asked me to go away to a weekend resort, which is about a thirty minute drive from my home town, at Joe Wheeler State Park on the river. And I said "sure", they didn't tell me why. Mom just said it was because of all the turmoil going on it would be great to get away, so I went.
That night, which was Friday, two deprogrammers came in, Craig Branch and Mary Alice, with my friend Cathy from the Boston movement who had fallen away from my church. That happened on Friday night and that was the first day of the visit. I don't remember what was said or anything. I just remember that the deprogrammers told me they wanted to show me things I didn't know about my church and my group. They brought me a box of materials referring to those things supposedly and we looked through some of the material during the course of the next few days. I don't know how many days it was. I never told anyone how many days. I think it was going on five, but I have been told that is not true. I can't remember things like that because of my head injury. As far as I know everyone came together because they all were at the door.
We talked a little bit that night about what they wanted to do as far as the material they wanted to go over and the things they wanted to tell me. I told them I would and that was fine. I have reasons for that as I felt compelled to do that for my family, because I knew if I said no then they would say that proved that I was brainwashed and I didn't want anything to make them feel that way. So I listened and didn't really say much from what I remember. Like I said, I have no idea of the number of days. I remember specific things that happened in the next few days however many days there were.
Really nothing overt happened. I was never forced to stay. Things were never done to me that were of a forced nature. I was always able, and knew I was able, to stop what was going on, and I did not stop what was going on. I allowed it to continue. I listened but didn't participate much. I had reasons for all of that which are irrelevant right now. That's pretty well what happened.
I have read an affidavit or declaration supposedly signed by me about the events just related. There were things that were said that I did verbally say to an organization called the Church of Scientology that were construed the wrong way, that were not right, that were not true and with those things written in the affidavit, I just want to basically dispute the whole thing that was written. The whole affidavit that was written and supposedly signed by me by the Church of Scientology is not true and I never intended to write anything remotely like that. My intentions were not along those lines, to persecute anyone.
Afterwards I was back home for fourteen days. I did not receive any phone calls from Steve Hassan during the time I was in Athens, but I did receive phone calls when I got back from Boston from someone who called me several times and who said he was Steve Hassan. It was getting to the point to where it was bothering me and I thought it was harassment, and I was about to go and have something done about it when it stopped. He was very vulgar and abusive. He was threatening my be saying "You will get out because we won't leave you alone." And by "we", I guess he meant his lackeys because he had other people calling me and I got newsletters too. I threw all of the newsletters away. I wish I had kept them to keep up with the record. They were written by different people who were mostly fall-aways, but also by him personally. I don't know who was sending me those but I assumed it was the same man who was calling me. I have no reason not to think that.
I did not know of the connection with ASI. All I knew was it was a representative from the Church of Scientology in Boston.
Concerning the alleged declaration and the part about the deprogrammers saying my God was no God at all, my mom, from what I remember repeated what Mary Alice had told me. I do remember I was told that my God was no God and the Boston Church's God. Almost verbatim. I do remember that. But it wasn't Craig who said it. I don't remember who it was. But it wasn't Craig. I think it was more in a conversation we were having, sort of just on a personal note. It didn't have anything to do with the formal sessions we had. It was more like in the kitchen afterwards.
I don't know where they got that part about my Bible being taken away from me. That did not happen.
I did not say that my mother and aunt ran out of the room screaming because of the Jim Jones movie.
Concerning this alleged declaration, later when I had returned to Boston after the meeting with the deprogrammers, I was telephoned by a lady. I don't know her name. It was right before I was planning to move back home so I just didn't think to keep up with it. She called me first of all to ask me about being on talk shows. There were two talk shows that the Church ("of" missing) Scientology in Boston wanted me to go to as a representative. I later backed that up by having the producers call me on both shows. I had no idea what the Church of Scientology was all about and I wanted to check it out. So that's what happened. I talked to her quite a few times and she was trying to explain to me what they were wanting to do on these talk shows. I finally told her that I would not do it. Then she asked me if she wrote an affidavit and sent it to me would I sign it and have it notarized so they could use it against the deprogramming community. I told her that I would not. She said "okay" and she tried a couple of more times to get me to do it by calling and begging me. Then she showed up at my house which was an hour away from Boston asking me again to do it. She had a man with her. I believe he was a notary and she might have brought him to get it all done. I'm not sure. I really don't remember why he was there. I am sure he was a member of the Church of Scientology. He told me that. They came in and we talked for quite a while. I gave them another verbal statement like I had given them over the phone before about what happened. She tried to manipulate what I said even while I was talking. That is what turned on the red light in my mind that I didn't want to give these people anything in writing. She was leading me with questions and forcing my Bible away, doing a lot of the things that wee in the affidavit that weren't true.
I did not give her permission to write it and definitely did not sign my name. I haven't seen my signature but I would like to see it to see if it matches mine. She left and I didn't think anything would come of it. I didn't even give her permission to tape what I said. I'm not sure that is what happened or if they just listened to the conversation and then wrote something themselves.
I am currently an active member of the Boston movement and I have a great relationship with my mom now.
I declare under penalty or perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct.
Dated: 9/8/ 1992 at Nashville, Tennessee. Signed by Angie Chandler
Witnessed by Notary