WWASPS critic loses suit

Slashdot is covering this story, but only from the point of view of "online defamation": a jury awarded US$11.3 million to someone who claimed to have been defamed online. It was a default judgement - the defendant didn't put in any defence - and it turned out that that was because she'd been forced to flee her home due to Hurricane Katrina during the relevant time period, and as a result she never received the papers notifying her of the suit. There's a lot being said about the case, but as far as I know, nobody has yet drawn any attention to what I consider the most interesting part of the story.

The interesting part: the defendant was Carey Bock. The plaintiff was Sue Scheff. Those names probably don't mean anything to you, but I'll explain. Carey Bock is an outspoken critic of the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs And Schools (WWASPS), operators of the infamous Tranquility Bay obedience school for human beings, which I wrote about at some length in 2003/2004. Ms. Bock was actually one of the interviewees in a CBC Radio item that I commented about back then. She became embroiled in a battle with WWASPS when her ex-husband sent their two sons, without her knowledge or consent, to be abused at a WWASPS school in Costa Rica; and Ms. Scheff, the plaintiff, apparently was a consultant she hired at that time to help find them and get them out of there. Relations between Scheff and Bock subsequently turned sour and led to the present case.

I have no opinion about who's right in the present defamation case. I don't know the relevant facts. But if this could draw some more attention to the issue of human obedience schools, that would be a good thing. People who cared got upset in 2003, but then nothing happened. WWASPS has continued to operate. Something should have happened. What kind of fucked-up world do we live in where a country that calls itself civilized would allow WWASPS to exist at all?

Apparently, the kind of fucked-up world where that same country would give its leaders permission to torture whoever they want to torture, for as long as they want, with immunity from prosecution. Just a couple weeks ago I commented on that parallel, over on Livejournal; and now here's this Slashdot story. It seems like WWASPS is in the air right now. Anyway, I'm pleased to see that one of my pages is the second Google hit on "Carey Bock", so maybe people looking for information about the present suit will be awakened to the more interesting story behind it.

UPDATE: I found a press release from Sue Scheff's organization. I still don't know the facts of the case, but the tone of the press release strikes me as extremely sleazy and I find it hard to be sympathetic towards anyone on the side of the defamation suit that released that load of horseshit. Note: that is my opinion of the press release, not of the allegations contained in it; I say the press release is horseshit regardless of whether its specific allegations are true, which I don't know about.

Now I guess I have to find the other party's press release and see if it's equally unimpressive. I won't be surprised if it is; neither side is sounding particularly admirable at the moment. Why can't they unite against the obedience schools instead of bickering stupidly over what apparently was a series of postings on a phpBB system of all places? There are much more important battles to be fought.

UPDATE: I found what I think is the other press release condemned by the one that's linked above. I'm not thrilled with it either, but it strikes me as less sleazy.

We need good sympathetic spokespeople on the side of sanity in this discussion. Scheff and Bock are not sympathetic. Ken Kay of WWASPS is smoother than a used car salesman. He pwnzored the CBC interview in '03. If the above-linked press release from Scheff's organization is typical of the anti-abuse side of the debate, then it's no wonder Kay and his organization are still tolerated.

Comments

Isabelle Zehnder from 24.21.94.190 at Mon, 29 Jan 2007 09:00:56 +0000:
CAICA BLOGS created to raise awareness about this industry:

Attention Staff: A call for help:
http://a-call-to-staff.blogspot.com/

Joey Aletriz, One year later:
http://joeyaletriz.blogspot.com/

3 Missing pregnant teens:
http://missingteens.blogspot.com/

Restraints that kill kids:
http://restraint-deaths.blogspot.com/

Ban shock treatment and aversives:
http://banaversives.blogspot.com/

Isabelle Zehnder
www.caica.org
info@caica.org

Paula Reeves from 68.41.46.1 at Thu, 01 Feb 2007 01:50:22 +0000:
You may not like this one either, Matthew:

Katrina Victim Fights for Trial after $11.3 Million Default Judgment for Internet Blogging

Case in Point: Sue Scheff, Owner of Parents Universal Resource Experts, Called a “Crook, Con Artist, and a Fraud” by Katrina Victim Carey Bock

FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA (January 30, 2007): Carey Bock from Mandeville, Louisiana was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. She evacuated her family to a Texas apartment only to find her father was suffering from heart failure. Bock lost most of her money. One of Bock’s sons was in Iraq and the other son was in Germany. It seemed life couldn’t get much worse—that is, until Bock received word that a judgment in Broward County, Florida had entered against her for $11.3 million in a case filed by Sue Scheff and Parents Universal Resource Experts (PURE). Bock did not receive court notices after May 31, 2006.

These facts are relevant according to Bock’s motion, filed in November 2006, to set aside the default. The Broward County judge will hear Bock’s motion against Scheff in early February 2007. A response by Scheff’s lawyer has not been filed with the court.

Bock called Scheff a “crook,” a “con artist,” and a “fraud” over the Internet. Scheff told U.S.A. Today, October 11, 2006, that Scheff wanted to “make a point,” in suing Bock, but some feel Scheff went too far. According to Bock, she has witnesses who will testify in support of her opinions of Scheff.

Scheff too was slapped with a lawsuit for similar Internet behavior directed at the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs (WWASP). Scheff, unlike Bock, had business insurance covering her attorney fees. Scheff used false names when she blogged WWASP over the Internet.

Scheff accused WWASP of fraud. Bock accused Scheff fraud. The difference, some would argue, is only the ability to access lawyers.

As oddity would have it, Scheff had a prior business association with WWASP. According to a United States Court of Appeals opinion, Scheff had been paid a substantial sum whenever Scheff referred a child to a WWASP program. After a “falling out” with the marketing arm of WWASP, Scheff now competes with WWASP. Some operators of the children’s programs to which Scheff refers have been accused of multiple counts of child abuse.

The federal court held WWASP to be a limited purpose public figure and thus Scheff was not liable. Scheff too is a limited purpose public figure, according to Bock’s lawyer, because Scheff has cast herself in the public eye on the issues about which Bock has blogged.

The chilling of speech is at issue. The sheer cost of defense may be enough to silence advocates attempting to expose fraud and child abuse in referral businesses—complaints, that is, such as those against Scheff and her company PURE. ###

Copyright © 2007 Paula Reeves
All Rights Reserved

Paula Reeves from 68.41.46.1 at Thu, 01 Feb 2007 01:53:30 +0000:
Just because my name appears close to that of Isabelle Zehnder, I am not in any manner associated with Ms. Zehnder or her organization CAICA. I do not agree with her or her associates.

www.paulareeves.com

Michael Crawford from 83.202.107.112 at Fri, 24 Aug 2007 10:10:14 +0000:
I have created a blog here about the two:
http://www.sueschefftruth.com/

Judy Brown from 68.203.205.133 at Mon, 03 Sep 2007 22:24:30 +0000:
Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal Docket

Case Docket
Case Number: 4D07-3283
Final Civil Other Notice from Broward County

CAREY BOCK vs. SUSAN SCHEFF, ETC., ET AL.

An appeal has been filed in the case!

Lower Tribunal Case(s): 03-22837 18

Date Docketed Description Date Due Filed By Notes
08/22/2007 Case Filing Fee
08/22/2007 Notice of Appeal Filed Thomas H. Mcgowan 0234052, Appellant
08/22/2007 order appealed

This form is for posting public comments to be read by other people who visit this Web site. If you have a software support question, or other material directed to the page author instead of to the general public, please send email instead.

All the data you enter, and your IP address, will be saved and displayed. Don't enter secret information. HTML is not accepted; it will be displayed as plain text. Your comment will only be added if you enter valid data in all required fields; if it isn't, use the back button and try again.

I, and I alone, reserve the right to remove postings for any reason.

WWASPS critic loses suit

Comments

Add Comment