Leisa Goodman

Infobox_Person
name = Leisa Goodman


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residence = California, United States
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employer = Church of Scientology International
title = Human Rights Director, Church of Scientology International [cite news | last =Rubin | first =Joel | title =District Scrambles to Ensure Human Rights Event Is Religion-Free; Officials were unaware of Scientology's role in the international forum at Jordan High in Watts | work =Los Angeles Times | page =B4 | date =October 1, 2005 ]
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website = [http://www.scientology.org/news-media/biographies/goodman.html Leisa Goodman] at Scientology.org

Leisa Goodman is the Human Rights Director for the Church of Scientology International. [cite web|url=http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/1999/12/33154|title=German Win2K Bug: Scientology?|work=Wired|publisher=CondéNet, Inc.|accessdate=2008-06-11|date=December 21, 1999|last=Oakes|first=Chris] She has previously served as a spokesperson for the Church of Scientology, and as its media relations director.

In her capacity as media relations director she managed Church of Scientology websites, presented the church's viewpoints about its conflict with critics on the Internet to the media, and traveled to Germany on a six-month fact finding mission to investigate the country's treatment of Scientologists. She went to Clearwater, Florida with Scientology's general counsel Elliot Abelson and then-head of the Church of Scientology's Office of Special Affairs, Mike Rinder, to attend a counter-protest against critics protesting outside the Fort Harrison Hotel. She works out of Los Angeles, California, and has served as Scientology's Human Rights Director since 1997.

Work for Church of Scientology

In 1990 Goodman was a spokesperson for the Church of Scientology out of the L. Ron Hubbard Office of Public Relations in Los Angeles, California. [cite news | last =McIntyre | first =Mike | title =Hubbard hot-author status called illusion | work =The San Diego Union | page =A-1 | date =April 15, 1990 ] Goodman was a spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International in 1993 and 1994. [cite news | last =Galbraith | first =Jane | title =The Church and The Magazines | work =Los Angeles Times | page =27 | date =October 17, 1993] [cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D02E3DE173CF930A25753C1A962958260|title=Officials in Germany Denounce Sect as a Menace to Democracy|work=The New York Times|publisher=The New York Times Company|accessdate=2008-06-11|date=October 13, 1994|last=Whitney|first=Craig R.] In 1995, Goodman served as the media relations director for the Church of Scientology,cite news | last =Pols | first =Mary F. | title =Scientologists Fight for German Recognition | work =Los Angeles Daily News | date =February 10, 1997] and in this role she managed Scientology websites, [cite journal | last =Horwitz | first =Paul | title =Scientology in Court: A Comparative Analysis and Some Thoughts on Selected Issues in Law and Religion | journal =DePaul Law Review | volume =47 | pages =85 | date =Fall 1997 ] [cite web|url=http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg14719933.400-netropolitan--scientology.html
title=Netropolitan - Scientology|work=New Scientist magazine|date=September 2, 1995
publisher=Reed Business Information|accessdate=2008-06-11|last=Staff] and responded to the media about the Church of Scientology's attempts to curtail the spread of their documents on the Internet. [cite news | last =Associated Press | title = Scientologists defy court order to return computer materials - Critic of church says seized data have been altered | work =The Gazette | page =6 | date =September 26, 1995] [cite book | last =Grossman | first =Wendy | authorlink =Wendy Grossman | title =net.wars | publisher =NYU Press | date =1998 | pages =81, 213, 215 | isbn = 0814731031] Jim McClellan of "The Observer" recommended Goodman's home page at wwww.theta.com for information about Scientology's perspective on its conflict with critics on the Internet. [cite news | last =McClellan | first =Jim | title =Cyberspace: Law of the wires - Jim McClellan on an Almighty row over Net copyright | work =The Observer | page =67 | publisher =Guardian Newspapers Limited | date =October 1, 1995 ] As media relations director she traveled to Germany in 1997 on a six-month fact finding mission to investigate the treatment of Scientologists in the country. She told the "Los Angeles Daily News" that she spoke with 200 Scientologists who said that they experienced adverse effects due to being members of the Church of Scientology including losing their jobs and having their bank accounts closed. Goodman defended the Church of Scientology's analogy to the Nazis in describing Germany's treatment of Scientologists, saying "We know it is not a popular thing to say. But the truth isn't always popular."

Goodman traveled to Clearwater, Florida along with other high-ranking members of the Church of Scientology including then-head of Scientology's Office of Special Affairs Mike Rinder and general counsel Elliot Abelson, to attend a counter-protest and response to an organized protest by critics of Scientology held in front of the Church of Scientology's Fort Harrison Hotel in March 1997.cite news | last =Tobin | first =Thomas C. | title =Scientologists clash with protesters | work =St. Petersburg Times | date =March 9, 1997 ] Critics including Jeff Jacobsen, David S. Touretzky and others were protesting the death of Lisa McPherson while under the care of members of the Church of Scientology, and Goodman explained to the "St. Petersburg Times" that Scientologists who live in Clearwater did not want the critics' protest to transpire without a response: "They're not about to stand by and do nothing. They've got First Amendment rights. They take it very personally. This is their town."

Goodman has been the Human Rights Director for the Church of Scientology International since 1997, [cite news |title =Discrimination In Germany | work =Sacramento Observer | date =June 4, 1997 ] and works out of Scientology offices in Los Angeles. [cite news | last =Staff | title =RUSSIA: Church of Scientology wins court ruling on registration | work =The Salt Lake Tribune | page =A2 | date =May 2, 2002] [cite news | last =Associated Press | title =Church of Scientology rejects accusations against members in Egypt | work =AP Worldstream | date =February 27, 2002]

ee also

*List of Scientologists
*Scientology and the Internet

References

Further reading

*cite journal | last =Goodman | first =Leisa | title =A Letter from the Church of Scientology | journal =Marburg Journal of Religion | volume =6 | issue =2 | publisher =web.uni-marburg.de | date =2001 | url =http://web.uni-marburg.de/religionswissenschaft/journal/mjr/goodman.html
*cite journal | last =Kent | first =Stephen A. | authorlink =Stephen A. Kent | title =Scientology and the European Human Rights Debate: A Reply to Leisa Goodman, J. Gordon Melton, and the European Rehabilitation Project Force Study | journal =Marburg Journal of Religion | volume =8 | issue =1 | date =September 2003 | url=http://web.uni-marburg.de/religionswissenschaft/journal/mjr/kent3.html

External Links

*cite web|url=http://www.scientology.org/news-media/biographies/goodman.html|title=Leisa Goodman - Human Rights Director, Church of Scientology International|work=Scientology - Church of Scientology Official Site|publisher=www.scientology.org|last=Church of Scientology International
*cite web|url=http://www.scientology.org/scnnews/GOODMAN.HTM|title=Scientology: Leisa Goodman: Human Rights Director|work=Scientology in the News: Press Office|publisher=www.scientology.org|last=Church of Scientology International
*cite web|url=http://www.theta.com/goodman/|work=Human Rights Forum|title=Scientology International – Human Rights Director|publisher=www.theta.com|last=Church of Scientology International