Parents Claim French School Infiltrated By Scientologists

Source: BBC Monitoring Newsfile
Date: November 26, 1998

A private school in Vincennes, on the outskirts of Paris, has been closed after parents complained it had been infiltrated by scientologists, French TF1 television reported on Thursday.

It said the official reason initially given for the closure of the Institut Aubert - which runs classes from kindergarten to full secondary education - was concern over structural safety.

"I closed it down for safety reasons," Vincennes Mayor Patrick Gerard said in remarks broadcast by the TV.

He said the local authorities also had "serious indications" that the school, founded in 1934, had been repurchased by a former school which had scientologists on its staff.

The school's director of education, Arlette Sanguinetti, acknowledged her beliefs: "Yes, I am a scientologist, but I make no secret of it," she said.

"Nor do I make any secret of the fact that the children here use Mr (L. Ron) Hubbard's learning methods. But that is not scientology. We don't talk about scientology."

The television showed a colourful children's textbook entitled "Learning is Fun", with the subtitle: "from the works of Ron Hubbard (founder of the Church of Scientology)."

The school will remain closed until further notice, pending an investigation ordered by the public prosecutor's office, the TV said.

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