| Headley et al. v. Church of Scientology International et al. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Court | United States District Court, Central District of California |
| Full case name | Claire Headley v. Church of Scientology International, et al. |
| Citation | 687 F.3d 1173 |
| Court membership | |
| Judges sitting | Dorothy W. Nelson, Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain, and Norman Randy Smith |
Headley et al. v. Church of Scientology International et al. was a court case filed in 2009 by Claire and Marc Headley against the Church of Scientology International alleging that the organization had violated laws against human trafficking and violated their human rights during their time of employment in the Sea Org. The Federal District Court decided that ministerial exemption protected the Church of Scientology from litigation and dismissed the case. The Headleys appealed. In 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the lower court's dismissal; it did not address the Constitutional issues of the trafficking and abuse claims (as had the lower court), but said that there was insufficient evidence that the Headley's had been obtained by "serious harm, threats or other improper methods."[1][2]
- ^ Bolado, Carolina (July 24, 2012). Bowen, Elizabeth (ed.). "9th Circ. Junks Ex-Scientologists' Forced-Labor Claims - Law360". Law 360. Portfolio Media, Inc. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
- ^ O’Scannlain, Diarmuid F. (July 24, 2012). "United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit" (PDF). United States Courts for the Ninth Circuit. Retrieved March 25, 2016.