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Drug Center's Attorneys Seek to Delay Decision
The Daily Oklahoman,
July 25, 1991
State mental health board members have been asked to postpone a decision on whether to certify a drug treatment center that uses methods of Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.
Lawyers with Narconon Chilocco New Life Center say they need the additional time to appeal a recent decision by an Oklahoma County judge that involves the state mental health department in the certification process.
Narconon Chilocco lawyers successfully argued last year before another Oklahoma County judge that the mental health department's staff was prejudiced against the 75-bed facility located north of Newkirk. As a result, the agency's staff was banned from making recommendations to board members about certification of Narconon's program.
Board members since have hired a Tulsa psychiatrist to evaluate the treatment plan.
Dr. John Chelf was to present his findings to the board at its Aug. 9 meeting in Oklahoma City. But Narconon Chilocco, which has continued to treat a limited number of patients, is asking that its certification application not be taken up until the board's October meeting to allow time for an appeal to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Board members cannot act on the request until they meet in a quorum, next scheduled for Aug. 8.
Another, less complex issue also remains to be solved.
Expecting a crowd of about 400 people to attend the Narconon Chilocco certification meeting, state officials are trying to find a facility large enough to handle a big crowd.
More than 300 people attended a meeting at Western State Hospital in Fort Supply when the mental health board originally planned to take up Narconon's certification request.
Narconon Chilocco, which has been operating since February 1990, is described in a Church of Scientology pamphlet in the June 28 edition of USA Today as "one of the many drug rehabilitation centers around the world which use L. Ron Hubbard's technology."
If the Supreme Court upholds last week's ruling by Oklahoma County District Judge John M. Amick, state mental health department administrators could take part in the certification hearing. If Amick's decision stands, the state will seek reimbursement from Narconon Chilocco for the expense of hiring Chelf and lawyers to represent the board.