The University of Southern California has allowed faculty member and USC Fellow Dr. Cecil “Chip” Murray to call for censorship in favor of the Church of Scientology. Murray’s letter went out on USC letterhead to Disney CEO Bob Iger:

Dr. Cecil Murray opens his letter to Disney CEO Bob Iger by stating that Scientology and the Aftermath is one-sided. Murray is badly misinformed: The Aftermath has repeatedly invited the Church of Scientology to have its representatives appear on the show and the Church has repeatedly declined.

Murray’s letter fails to establish a foundation based in facts. Murray does not give any facts as to why the show is hateful as he alleges. Rather, Murray merely acts as an apologist for the Church of Scientology by reiterating its previous allegations that The Aftermath is harmful because Scientology says it is. This is a non-sequitur and very shoddy work for an academic and a USC Fellow.

USC apparently endorses Murray’s baseless rhetoric, use of non-sequitur, and calls for censorship of a television program. We say this as the letter was sent out on USC letterhead. We contacted USC’s Ron Mackovich and asked him about Murray’s letter. He never responded. Thus, we conclude that USC assents to Murray’s call for censorship as opposed to an open public debate in which Murray would be called upon to defend Scientology.

Dr. Murray’s letter fails to address the substantive issues raised by Scientology and the Aftermath:

• The Use of Child labor in Scientology’s Sea Org
• Forced abortions in the Sea Org
• Breaking up families by Disconnection
• Fair Game
• Scientology’s use of private investigators to stalk and harass critics
• Character assassination of critics
• Scientology’s greed and the resultant financial harm to Scientologists
• Scientology exploitation of Sea Org members by keeping them in a state of poverty and forcing them to work 100+ hour work weeks

Dr. Murray affirms these inhumane and brutal Scientology practices by default inasmuch he fails to address these practices. Murray does this even as he lectures Mr. Iger about moral accountability. Worse, Dr. Murray refuses to take notice of Scientology’s relationship to the Nation of Islam and Minister Louis Farrakhan’s virulent Anti-Semitism. The lack of cognizance on Murray’s part is appalling given the fact that CEO Bob Iger is Jewish.

That USC’s name is on a letter in which Dr. Murray defends the Church of Scientology, ignores Anti-Semitism, and calls for censorship of a television program is scandalous.

By ignoring the brutality and human rights abuses of the Church of Scientology, Dr. Murray implicates himself in these abuses by his silence on them. Murray then goes a step further in empowering Scientology’s abuses by calling for the censorship of Scientology and the Aftermath.

What Dr. Murray is saying is that Leah Remini must be silenced so that the Church of Scientology will not be held to public accountability for its brutal actions and decades of human rights abuses. The call for censorship, for victims to be silenced, is a betrayal of justice.

Why would Dr. Murray want the victims of depravity and injustice to be silenced? Why would he support Scientology programs of Fair Game? What is Dr. Murray getting from the Church of Scientology in return? These questions arise because the University of Southern California has assented to Dr. Murray’s calls for censorship.

To read the text of Murray’s letter click here. Warning: This link is to a Church of Scientology website that places tracking cookies into your computer. Proceed at your own risk.

To contact USC about Dr. Cecil Murray’s call for censorship on behalf of the Church of Scientology please contact:

Eddie North-Hager, USC Executive Director of Communications
Office: (213) 821-9412
Cell: (213) 220-1806
edwardnh@usc.edu