Scientology public relations relies on litigation, formal denials and the church's own media channels. A federal court convicted nine church officials in 1979 of stealing government documents and obstructing the investigation. The IRS recognized the church as tax exempt in October 1993. A Los Angeles jury convicted actor Danny Masterson in 2023, and the church denies the harassment allegations critics make.
Updated October 20, 2026. Every contested claim below is credited to the court, outlet or party that made it.
Summary
- The church answers critics with lawsuits, formal statements and owned media.
- Court records and reporting show wins in some arenas, including the 1993 IRS exemption and the dismissal of the Time libel suit.
- Documentaries and former members shaped public coverage in ways the church could not control.
- The record offers clear lessons for any organization under sustained scrutiny.
Contents
- Why does Scientology answer critics with lawsuits and denials?
- What did Operation Snow White establish?
- How did the Time lawsuit end?
- How did Scientology win its 1993 IRS tax exemption?
- How did Going Clear and Leah Remini change the coverage?
- What did the Danny Masterson case change?
- Why did Scientology launch its own television network?
- What can communicators learn from the record?
- What is the church's own position?
- Frequently asked questions
Why does Scientology answer critics with lawsuits and denials?
Scientology answers critics with lawsuits and denials because founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote policy letters that treat opponents as enemies to be handled rather than audiences to be persuaded. A Hubbard policy letter dated October 18, 1967 designated declared enemies of the church as "fair game." A letter dated October 21, 1968 said the practice of declaring people fair game would cease, and added that it did not cancel any policy on the handling of a "suppressive person."
The church says the fair game policy was cancelled in 1968 and is not practiced. Critics, including former members, say the 1968 letter removed the term and not the practice, and the church denies that. Both sides publish their versions at length.
What did Operation Snow White establish?
Operation Snow White was a Scientology Guardian's Office program to locate and obtain government documents about the church, and its exposure ended in nine federal convictions in 1979. The D.C. Circuit's opinion in United States v. Heldt describes covert operations to steal government documents and a conspiracy to obstruct justice. Mary Sue Hubbard, wife of founder L. Ron Hubbard, was among the defendants.
The trial court found the defendants guilty on stipulated evidence in October 1979, and the appeals court affirmed the judgments on October 2, 1981. The defendants were individual church officials, and the church as an organization was not a defendant. Critics argue the episode still colors how the public reads later church denials, while the church disputes that reading.
How did the Time lawsuit end?
The Church of Scientology's libel suit against Time magazine ended in dismissal in the trial court and on appeal. Time published Richard Behar's article "Scientology: The Cult of Greed" in May 1991, and the church sued Behar, Time and Time Warner for libel in federal court in New York. According to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the district court dismissed part of the claim in November 1992 and granted summary judgment on the rest because the church could not show actual malice.
The Second Circuit affirmed on January 12, 2001, and the Associated Press reported that the Supreme Court declined to hear the case on October 1, 2001. A suit that runs from 1991 to 2001 keeps the original article in court coverage for a decade, which is the practical lesson for communicators.
How did Scientology win its 1993 IRS tax exemption?
The IRS recognized Scientology organizations as tax exempt in October 1993, ending a dispute in which the agency had declined for about 25 years to grant the church that status, according to the New York Times. In its news release IR-97-50 of December 31, 1997, the IRS said the church was recognized after establishing that it operated for religious and charitable purposes only, based on information the church provided.
The New York Times reported on March 9, 1997 that church leader David Miscavige met then IRS Commissioner Fred Goldberg in October 1991, after which Goldberg formed a committee to negotiate with the church. The church denied that the meeting was unscheduled. The Times reported on December 31, 1997 that the closing agreement required a $12.5 million payment to the federal government. Critics have questioned the process, while the church and the IRS say the exemption followed a full review.
How did Going Clear and Leah Remini change the coverage?
Going Clear and Leah Remini's A&E series moved criticism of Scientology into mainstream media by putting former members on camera. Lawrence Wright's book Going Clear appeared in January 2013 and was a National Book Award finalist. Alex Gibney's HBO documentary based on the book premiered at Sundance on January 25, 2015 and aired on HBO on March 29, 2015.
The church ran full-page advertisements in The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times disputing the film before its premiere. Remini, who left the church in 2013, produced Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, which ran on A&E from November 29, 2016 to August 26, 2019 and won an Emmy in 2017. The church said the series spread religious hate and bigotry.
What did the Danny Masterson case change?
The Danny Masterson case put Scientology practices before a Los Angeles jury and produced a court record that critics now cite. Masterson, an actor known for That '70s Show, was tried first in 2022, when the jury deadlocked, and was convicted on May 31, 2023 on two counts of forcible rape. Judge Charlaine Olmedo sentenced him on September 7, 2023 to 30 years to life, according to Yahoo Entertainment's report on the sentencing.
All three women who accused him were Scientologists when the assaults occurred. Reuters reported that two of them told the court the church sought to protect Masterson and intimidate them into silence. The church's May 31, 2023 statement says it has no policy discouraging members from reporting crimes to law enforcement and that there is no evidence it harassed the accusers. The church was not a party to the case, and Masterson's lawyers filed an appeal brief on December 18, 2024.
Why did Scientology launch its own television network?
Scientology launched the Scientology Network on March 12, 2018 to reach audiences without a journalist in the middle. The church says the network is produced at Scientology Media Productions in Los Angeles and carried on DIRECTV and streaming platforms.
Owned media gives an organization full control of its message. The limit is reach, because a channel viewers must seek out mostly serves audiences already curious about the church.
What can communicators learn from the record?
The Scientology record shows that litigation and denial can win specific legal outcomes while leaving the wider public story in the hands of courts and former members. The table sets each tactic beside its documented result.
| Tactic | Intended effect | Documented result |
|---|
| Libel suit against Time (after May 1991) | Deter hostile coverage | Dismissed in stages; Second Circuit affirmed January 12, 2001 |
| Negotiation with the IRS (1991 to 1993) | Win tax-exempt status | Exemption recognized October 1993 |
| Advertising rebuttal of Going Clear (2015) | Discredit the film | Film aired on HBO March 29, 2015 |
| Owned television network (2018) | Bypass journalists | Network launched March 12, 2018 |
| Public denial of the Masterson accusers' claims (2023) | Separate the church from the crime | Masterson sentenced September 7, 2023; church denial on the record |
Three decisions follow from the record. Answer a documented allegation with documents, because an unsupported denial gives reporters a reason to dig. Treat former insiders as credible voices and respond to their claims on the facts. Reserve lawsuits for cases the organization expects to win, since a lost case becomes the new story.
Compare the Vatican clergy abuse crisis communications record, read the litigation public relations playbook for the rules on public statements during a case, and see why the 72-hour window in crisis communications makes a first response so important.
What is the church's own position?
The Church of Scientology states that it is a bona fide religion, that the IRS recognized it as tax exempt, and that allegations of harassment, coercion and abuse against it are false. It describes hostile coverage as religious bigotry, and its May 31, 2023 statement calls the Masterson prosecution an unprecedented violation of the First Amendment. Readers can weigh those statements against the court records and reporting cited above. The church and any person named in this article may request a correction.
