Bombshell Scientology Lawsuit Accuses David Miscavige of Covering Up Child Sexual Assault by Top Church Leader
June 26 2023, Published 11:36 a.m. ET
The fallout of the Danny Masterson verdict has begun.
An explosive lawsuit filed on the eve of the trial and kept secret during the trial of That 70’s Show has been unsealed, accusing Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige, of covering up systemic child sexual assault by a top church executive, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The woman suing the church and its leader is Jane Doe, a plaintiff who said she was born into Scientology in 1974 and at age 14 became a member of the Sea Organization, which requires members to sign billion-year contracts.
Jane Doe was also one of the victims of Masterson who in May was found guilty by a jury of raping two women.
In the filing, Jane Doe alleged Gavin Potter, a member of the Sea Organization, sexually abused her beginning when she was assigned the job of driving him home.
“It was during these car rides that Gavin Potter began sexually abusing Jane Doe,” the lawsuit claimed.
“At no point, during any of the assaults in her vehicle, did Jane Doe consent to those acts, but she felt like she could not refuse because of Gavin Potter’s position in the Religious Technology Center, Church of Scientology International, Bridge Publications Incorporated, and Sea Org.
“The first time Gavin Potter sexually assaulted Jane Doe, he leaned over in her car and kissed her on the mouth. At the time of the first encounter, Jane Doe had never had a boyfriend or done anything of a sexual nature with anyone.”
The alleged sexual abuse by Potter progressed, it’s claimed.
In another encounter, Jane Doe said she “was in the driver’s seat and Gavin Potter was in the passenger seat when he began fondling Jane Doe’s breasts over her clothes, and then put a hand up her skirt. Gavin Potter then digitally penetrated her vagina.
“Jane Doe was fearful and physically uncomfortable but could not move. The digital penetration continued for an unknown period, at which point Jane Doe looked over and noticed that Gavin Potter had a wet spot in the crotch of his pants.
“Jane Doe did not understand at that time that he ejaculated. After he ejaculated, Gavin Potter removed his hand from Jane Doe’s pants, and she proceeded to drive him home.”
When a colleague questioned Jane Doe about why she was late to work the next day, the incident was reported to church authorities who, it’s claimed, forced her to marry her alleged abuser.
“That same day, Jane Doe’s “Port Captain” arranged for Jane Doe, Gavin Potter, and Jane Doe’s mother to travel to Las Vegas, Nevada to complete the marriage,” the lawsuit said.
“Jane Doe’s mother witnessed the marriage. The Port Captain explained that the wedding could not take place in California as that would require both parties to see a counselor or psychologist to determine the mental capacity of the minor to marry, and a judge to sign off after review of the psychologist’s report.
“The Religious Technology Center and Church of Scientology International knew that such an inquiry would involve questions as to the couple’s relationship, where they would live and how they would support one another, none of which Jane Doe could answer which would result in a rejection of the marriage application.
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“Nor did Defendants want to divulge any of this information to the Court.
“Upon information and belief, Defendants routinely transported minors to and from Las Vegas for marriages to avoid any such requirements. Jane Doe did not tell friends or family she was married; she only told her co-workers and her mother.”
After the ceremony, the husband and wife returned to Los Angeles, where Jane Doe went back to work. It was there, her boss allegedly ordered her to have sex with Potter at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Center.
“At the end of her shift, Jane Doe was presented with ‘Completed Staff Work’ paperwork signed by both her Port Captain and her Guardian, assigning her to sleep with Gavin Potter at the hotel,” the lawsuit added.
“Jane Doe had no say in this arrangement and did not believe she had the ability to say no.
“That night, Gavin Potter had sexual intercourse with Jane Doe. Jane Doe did not want to have sex with him but felt coerced and compelled because of the forced marriage. Jane Doe described the intercourse as ritualistic and painful.”
She said she did not live with Gavin Potter for the entirety of the marriage but became pregnant at the age of 19.
“Upon information and belief, the Religious Technology Center and Church of Scientology International prohibited Sea Org members from becoming pregnant,” the lawsuit said.
“The Sea Org was not equipped with appropriate healthcare for children or childcare facilities, leaving children largely unsupervised resulting in accidents that Defendants did not have the funding or facilities to care for. Additionally, many children were subjected to neglect and molestation, prompting extensive Child Protective Service investigations and legal issues over the years. Therefore, in 1986, upon the death of (L. Ron) Hubbard and when David Miscavige took over, a Sea Org Order was issued declaring no more children could be born by Sea Org members," the suit read.
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“For this reason, Gavin Potter asked Jane Doe to get an abortion, which she refused," it continued.
Jane Doe said she eventually was able to “escape” Potter and Scientology, but not until she was 23 years old. She escaped with her daughter.
Causes of action in the suit include sexual assault, sexual battery, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and fraud.
Miscavige, it’s alleged, failed to prevent the alleged sexual assault and “had a duty to not retain and continue to allow Gavin Potter to act as a volunteer and agent of the Church given his dangerous and exploitive propensities.”
Miscavige “knew or reasonably should have known of Gavin Potter’s dangerous and exploitive propensities and/or that he was an unfit agent,” it’s claimed.
“Despite such knowledge, Defendants negligently retained and allowed Gavin Potter to act as an agent for the Defendants in the position of trust and authority as a Sea Org recruiter, religious instructor, counselor, spiritual mentor, emotional mentor, and/or other authority figure," the suit read.
“Through that role, Gavin Potter was able to commit the wrongful acts against the Plaintiff.”
Church Spokeswoman Karin Pouw vehemently denied the all the allegations and charge the lawsuit was filed by a determined group of individuals known for repeatedly attacking the organization.
"The suit is a con job orchestrated by the same small group of anti-Scientologists bent on harassing the Church," she told RadarOnline.com. The attorney who filed it has been declared a vexatious litigant who was suspended from the (California) bar in connection with frivolous litigation against the Church of Scientology in the past. As with previous attempted shakedowns, the Church will prevail."
"The Church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone—Scientologists or not—to law enforcement," she added. "Quite the opposite, Church policy explicitly demands Scientologists abide by all laws of the land. Allegations to the contrary are false."
