Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña not a fan of Scientologists' anti-drug programs in NYC schools
Fariña told the Daily News she's investigating reports that the religious group had made anti-drug presentations in dozens of schools and to NYPD youth groups. But Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said he has no problem with Scientologists talking to kids about drugs
New York Daily News/January 30, 2015
By Kerry Burke , Ben Chapman , Corky Siemaszko
The head of the city schools system is not happy that Scientologists have been making anti-drug pitches to their kids — and now she’s investigating the situation.
“We’re looking into it. I’m not sending them out to schools. It’s not under my name,” Chancellor Carmen Fariña told the Daily News of the church-funded Foundation for a Drug Free World.
Fariña weighed in Thursday amid reports that the group had made anti-drug presentations in dozens of schools and to NYPD youth groups.
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said he is not sweating the Scientologists. “Anybody that’s willing to work with us to spread that message, we’ll work with them,” he said.
Both the NYPD and the Department of Education said earlier they had no direct contracts or partnerships with the foundation. But school principals are allowed to bring in outside groups to speak to kids as long as there’s no religious instruction, sources said.
Foundation honcho Meghan Fialkoff insisted she wasn’t trying to lure kids into Scientology.
“It’s a secular program,” she said. “Every school we work with is given all the material we work with in in advance. This is a professional organization that has professional materials. Anything else that is stated is a lie.”
Not so, said journalist Tony Ortega, a critic of the religion founded by sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard.
“Their idea is if someone comes into the school and talks about drugs to kids, it loosens people up to the idea that L. Ron Hubbard is an authority who can be trusted,” Ortega said.
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