Judge: Church of Scientology Not Liable for Suicide of Young Man

A lawyer suing the Church of Scientology has filed a motion asking to withdraw from the wrongful death case — but he doesn’t really mean it.
Kennan Dandar says the state judge who ordered him to withdraw doesn’t have jurisdiction in federal court. He also says he doesn’t want to abandon his client, who blames the church for her son’s death.
Police investigated the role Scientology played in the suicide of a troubled young man two years ago, but did not conclude church members forced him off his antidepressant medication or contributed to his death.
Clearwater police on Tuesday released more than 200 pages of documents from the investigation of Brennan’s death. The reports don’t provide evidence of a key claim in the lawsuit: that Brennan was denied access to the antidepressant Lexapro.
A mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Church of Scientology, its Flag Service Organization and three parishioners, claiming they brought about her son’s death by denying him access to his antidepression medication.
The cult is known for its hate campaign against psychiatry and psychiatric drugs, as well as for medical claims that amount to quackery.