|
San Diego Union
January, 26 1978
Scientology-linked policeman fired
Vows to appeal
by Jon Standefer
A San Diego police lieutenant fired yesterday for passing police
information to the Church of Scientology, and then lying about it,
will appeal the action, according to his attorney.
Lt. Warren M. "Skip" Young, 31, and attorney Dick Castle had a
two-hour, closed-door meeting with Police Chief William B. Kolender
yesterday before Kolender announced the firing.
The chief said Young, a patrol lieutenant, was fired for "using his
position to give information improperly to an organization," for
"giving untruthful statements to the FBI" and for also making
"untruthful statements to Deputy Chief Don Reierson and myself."
Young could not be reached for comment. Castle would only say that
the firing will be appealed. The men left Kolender's office through a
back door to avoid reporters.
Kolender said Young admitted yesterday he had used a police
computer to check criminal histories of "several" persons, and then
gave the information to a Church of Scientology member whom the chief
identified as Betty Lou Allen.
The chief said he did not know the names of all the persons Young
checked, nor did he recognize any of the names he did know.
According to Kolender, Young's unauthorized checking was uncovered
when Kolender received information on a man wanted by the FBI, Michael
J. Meisner [note; the Scientologist who blew the whistle on Operation
Snow White].
The FBI was notified when Young requested the information on
Meisner, and agents called the lieutenant. Young told the agents
Meisner had been stopped in San Diego on a routine traffic violation,
Kolender said.
When Meisner was later arrested, the chief said, Meisner told the
FBI that he never had been in San Diego. And when a federal grand
jury in Washington subpoenaed Meisner's San Diego records - which were
nonexistent - the internal investigation was begun.
Kolender said he did not know why the Church of Scientology was
interested in checking the background of Meisner and the others.
When reached at the local Church of Scientology headquarters
yesterday, the Rev. Jim Thompson identified Betty Lou Allen as the
regional director of the church. "She's out of town and for that time
I am acting regional director," the told the Union.
Thompson said "At the worst, it (Young giving the church the NCIC
material) was an infraction of the rules and that's all. He has never
had a blemish on his record."
Meisner, said Thompson, "was not a member of the church. He worked
for the Department of Justice and was the one who started the grand
jury investigation. This whole thing is just one more Justice
Department ploy to stop our $750 million suit."
Thompson said he could not comment further "because our attorneys
are considering including this incident in our conspiracy suit against
the Justice Department."
An FBI spokesman here said he understood Meisner was among Church
of Scientology members being investigated by the federal grand jury
in Washington DC.
Young was in the Police Department for 10 years. His wife,
Christine, is a civilian radio dispatcher, according to department
spokesman Bill Robinson. There was no apparent link between her
position and the NCIC checks and her job is not in jeopardy, said
Robinson.
|
|