Shawn Lonsdale
Encyclopedia
Shawn Lonsdale was a videographer
and prominent critic of the Church of Scientology
. He resided in Clearwater, Florida
, and regularly videotaped members of Scientology coming and going from church activities in Clearwater. Lonsdale had initially intended to do a photography project on homeless people in Clearwater, but after an experience at a City Council meeting, he began to research Scientology. Lonsdale got into an argument with a Scientologist at the City Council meeting, and the Scientologist followed him home and the next day Lonsdale observed a van waiting for two hours outside his home. After researching the Church of Scientology on critical websites, he decided to expose information about the organization. He established a website, and filmed video footage of Scientologists going about activities in Clearwater, and aired edited footage on a local Public-access television
cable TV station. After getting into a physical altercation with a Scientologist while filming, the Scientologist was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery, but was later released and the charges were dropped.
The Church of Scientology hired private investigators and discovered a criminal record on Lonsdale, and this was subsequently publicized by a Scientologist on fliers and on a website. Lonsdale was subpoenaed by the Church of Scientology in 2006, and they accused him of being affiliated with the Lisa McPherson Trust
, a group critical of Scientology which was restricted in where it could protest in Clearwater. In 2007, Lonsdale appeared on the BBC
Panorama
program Scientology and Me
and was interviewed by journalist
John Sweeney
. Later in the program, Sweeney lost his temper and shouted at a Scientology representative when he was accused of giving Lonsdale a "soft interview". Lonsdale died suddenly on February 16, 2008, and a Clearwater police spokeswoman stated that the death appears to be due to suicide
.
On July 8, 2006, Lonsdale got into a physical altercation with a Scientologist while filming the Church of Scientology in Clearwater. A spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology told Bay News 9
that Lonsdale had been harassing their staff members, and that the fight was not related to the church. Lonsdale stated "Basically, I'm filming a pseudo-documentary for one of our free-access Pinellas web channels," and said that while filming a Scientologist came out of a coffee shop and yelled that Lonsdale was a religious bigot. Lonsdale stated "I picked up the camera again and started filming him ... He went right for my face and my head, backed me up into a pole to which I had no other choice but to defend myself." The Scientologist was arrested by Clearwater police and charged with battery, but the State Attorney's Office of Florida decided not to pursue charges. After the incident the Clearwater police Deputy Chief viewed a videotape of the altercation, and concluded that Lonsdale was the victim and that his police officers made the right decision in arresting the Scientologist. After viewing the videotape, the Assistant State Attorney stated "it is just not going to be a prosecutable case," and said that the video shows "pretty much mutual aggression" between Lonsdale and the Scientologist. The Assistant State Attorney stated that the video showed aggression on both sides, and that Lonsdale's criticism of Scientology on the internet made the case "unprosecutable". Lonsdale's attorney Luke Lirot stated "It is another example of the State Attorney's Office's historical reluctance to tangle with Scientology." Scientology spokeswoman Pat Harney said that church members had been told to avoid Lonsdale, and told the St. Petersburg Times that Scientologists had complained to police that they felt Lonsdale was stalking them. The police did not charge Lonsdale, stating that he had the right to take photos and video in public places.
to investigate him. The private investigator discovered that Lonsdale had two misdemeanor convictions for lewd and lascivious conduct dating back to 1999 and 2000, both related to public sex with men. In mid-July 2006, Posters with a mug shot of Lonsdale appeared in store windows warning that he had been arrested for sex crimes and was dangerous. The Church of Scientology told Bay News 9 that it did not hand out the fliers, but that they came from an organization calling the "Cleveland Street Safety League". The St. Petersburg Times reported that the man behind the "Cleveland Street Safety League" is "a longtime Scientologist known for confronting critics". The Scientologist behind the Cleveland Street Safety League created a website about Lonsdale and posted his arrest record and comments Lonsdale had made on a swinger site, and also called Lonsdale's family in New England
claiming that Lonsdale needed mental help.
Lonsdale's employer and landlord received phone calls from Scientology representatives who claimed that he was a religious bigot and dangerous. Lonsdale was subpoenaed by the Church of Scientology for a deposition in the fall of 2006, and the Church claimed that he belonged to an anti-Scientology group which had previously been barred from protesting in certain areas in downtown Clearwater, the Lisa McPherson Trust
. Luke Lirot, the lawyer who defended Lonsdale in the matter, told the St. Petersburg Times
: "I found him to be quite affable and truly a very intelligent man ... I certainly hope that a very thorough investigation is conducted." In his deposition, Lonsdale stated he was unemployed and began to educate himself about Scientology while working on a photography project on homeless people in Clearwater. After reading more about Scientology, he decided to shed light on the organization and irritate Scientologists. Of the claims Scientology made that Lonsdale was affiliated with the Lisa McPherson Trust, Lirot commented: "It was obvious to everybody he had nothing to do with the trust, and the trust had been disbanded and dissolved many years prior ... They just wanted to try to come up with a way to preclude him from exercising his right to picket in downtown Clearwater, and they were unsuccessful in doing that."
's Panorama
program in a piece titled "Scientology and Me
", and was interviewed about his experiences as a critic of Scientology by journalist
John Sweeney
. When Sweeney asked Lonsdale why the Church of Scientology was publicizing derogatory things about him, Lonsdale replied: "They are trying to embarrass me. They try to paint you as crazy, so that no one will listen to you." During their interview, Tommy Davis arrived, opened a folder, and began to read out loud Lonsdale's criminal record. Later in the program, Sweeney was accused by Scientologist Tommy Davis of giving "convicted sexual pervert Shawn Lonsdale" a "soft interview". Sweeney yelled at Davis and lost his temper, with both men shouting at each other back and forth. A Scientology-produced video of the incident was uploaded to YouTube
and viewed over 856,000 times.
Clearwater police discovered Lonsdale's body after they were alerted by neighbors and found a garden hose connecting the exhaust pipe of Lonsdale's car with one of the windows of his home. Clearwater police spokeswoman Elizabeth Daly-Watts stated that there were no signs of foul play involved, and that police found what they believed to be a suicide note
. Daly-Watts said that "It does appear to be a suicide." Police officially ruled Lonsdale's death as suicide on May 2, 2008.
Scientology spokeswoman Pat Harney called Lonsdale's apparent suicide "awful" and stated "It's just unfortunate anybody feels they have to go to that length ... I wouldn't wish that on anybody." Jerald Rowlett, a fellow Scientology critic and friend from Michigan, told The Tampa Tribune
: "In many ways Shawn was a hero to me ... He had a hard life and a history he knew Scientology would use to hurt him. And yet he still felt strongly enough to try to inform the public about the actions of Scientology." On March 1, 2008, John Sweeney remembered Lonsdale and spoke about him on the BBC Radio 4
program, From Our Own Correspondent. Sweeney stated: "Clearwater got that little bit more creepy recently, with the death - the police are treating it as suicide - of Shawn. When alive a Scientology spokesman said of him: 'He has no redeeming value to anyone, anywhere.' Well, he was a bit of a hero to me ... I for one mourn the loss - of a brave and singular American".
Videographer
Strictly speaking, a videographer is a person who works in the field of videography, video production — recording moving images and sound on video tape, disk, other electro-mechanical device. News broadcasting relies heavily on live television where videographers engage in electronic news...
and prominent critic of the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
. He resided in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
, and regularly videotaped members of Scientology coming and going from church activities in Clearwater. Lonsdale had initially intended to do a photography project on homeless people in Clearwater, but after an experience at a City Council meeting, he began to research Scientology. Lonsdale got into an argument with a Scientologist at the City Council meeting, and the Scientologist followed him home and the next day Lonsdale observed a van waiting for two hours outside his home. After researching the Church of Scientology on critical websites, he decided to expose information about the organization. He established a website, and filmed video footage of Scientologists going about activities in Clearwater, and aired edited footage on a local Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV station. After getting into a physical altercation with a Scientologist while filming, the Scientologist was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery, but was later released and the charges were dropped.
The Church of Scientology hired private investigators and discovered a criminal record on Lonsdale, and this was subsequently publicized by a Scientologist on fliers and on a website. Lonsdale was subpoenaed by the Church of Scientology in 2006, and they accused him of being affiliated with the Lisa McPherson Trust
Lisa McPherson Trust
The Lisa McPherson Trust was an organisation created in 1999 by Bob Minton. The trust was named after Lisa McPherson, a Scientology member who died in 1995 after being in the Church of Scientology’s care for 17 days...
, a group critical of Scientology which was restricted in where it could protest in Clearwater. In 2007, Lonsdale appeared on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
program Scientology and Me
Scientology and Me
Scientology and Me was a television documentary broadcast 14 May 2007 as part of the BBC's Panorama series. Reporter John Sweeney visited the United States to investigate whether the Church of Scientology was becoming more mainstream...
and was interviewed by journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
John Sweeney
John Sweeney (journalist)
John Sweeney is an award-winning journalist and author, currently working as an investigative journalist for the BBC's Panorama series.- Investigative journalism :...
. Later in the program, Sweeney lost his temper and shouted at a Scientology representative when he was accused of giving Lonsdale a "soft interview". Lonsdale died suddenly on February 16, 2008, and a Clearwater police spokeswoman stated that the death appears to be due to suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
.
Critic of Scientology
Lonsdale, never a Scientologist himself, became critical of the Church of Scientology in mid-2006, and often stood outside in downtown Clearwater near Scientology's spiritual headquarters wearing a sandwich board sign that read "Cult Watch". Lonsdale became interested in Scientology after getting into a fight with a Scientologist over redevelopment issues while at a City Council meeting. After the Scientologist followed Lonsdale's car home and Lonsdale noticed a van parked in front of his home for two hours the following day, he began to research the background of Scientology on anti-Scientology sites on the Internet and in the library. He taped hours of footage of Scientology staffers, security guards, and verbal confrontations with Scientologists, and edited clips into a "pseudo-documentary" which aired on local Public-access television. Lonsdale dropped fliers outside downtown businesses and picked through trash from a Scientology-owned business and posted documents online. He parked outside a Scientology cafeteria with posters in his car window which stated that key Scientology texts were available for free on the Internet: "OT I-VIII for free at xenu.net."On July 8, 2006, Lonsdale got into a physical altercation with a Scientologist while filming the Church of Scientology in Clearwater. A spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology told Bay News 9
Bay News 9
Bay News 9 is a cable news television network located in St Petersburg, Florida. It currently serves the Tampa Bay Area including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Polk, Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus counties...
that Lonsdale had been harassing their staff members, and that the fight was not related to the church. Lonsdale stated "Basically, I'm filming a pseudo-documentary for one of our free-access Pinellas web channels," and said that while filming a Scientologist came out of a coffee shop and yelled that Lonsdale was a religious bigot. Lonsdale stated "I picked up the camera again and started filming him ... He went right for my face and my head, backed me up into a pole to which I had no other choice but to defend myself." The Scientologist was arrested by Clearwater police and charged with battery, but the State Attorney's Office of Florida decided not to pursue charges. After the incident the Clearwater police Deputy Chief viewed a videotape of the altercation, and concluded that Lonsdale was the victim and that his police officers made the right decision in arresting the Scientologist. After viewing the videotape, the Assistant State Attorney stated "it is just not going to be a prosecutable case," and said that the video shows "pretty much mutual aggression" between Lonsdale and the Scientologist. The Assistant State Attorney stated that the video showed aggression on both sides, and that Lonsdale's criticism of Scientology on the internet made the case "unprosecutable". Lonsdale's attorney Luke Lirot stated "It is another example of the State Attorney's Office's historical reluctance to tangle with Scientology." Scientology spokeswoman Pat Harney said that church members had been told to avoid Lonsdale, and told the St. Petersburg Times that Scientologists had complained to police that they felt Lonsdale was stalking them. The police did not charge Lonsdale, stating that he had the right to take photos and video in public places.
Response by Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology responded to Lonsdale's activities by hiring a private investigatorPrivate investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
to investigate him. The private investigator discovered that Lonsdale had two misdemeanor convictions for lewd and lascivious conduct dating back to 1999 and 2000, both related to public sex with men. In mid-July 2006, Posters with a mug shot of Lonsdale appeared in store windows warning that he had been arrested for sex crimes and was dangerous. The Church of Scientology told Bay News 9 that it did not hand out the fliers, but that they came from an organization calling the "Cleveland Street Safety League". The St. Petersburg Times reported that the man behind the "Cleveland Street Safety League" is "a longtime Scientologist known for confronting critics". The Scientologist behind the Cleveland Street Safety League created a website about Lonsdale and posted his arrest record and comments Lonsdale had made on a swinger site, and also called Lonsdale's family in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
claiming that Lonsdale needed mental help.
Lonsdale's employer and landlord received phone calls from Scientology representatives who claimed that he was a religious bigot and dangerous. Lonsdale was subpoenaed by the Church of Scientology for a deposition in the fall of 2006, and the Church claimed that he belonged to an anti-Scientology group which had previously been barred from protesting in certain areas in downtown Clearwater, the Lisa McPherson Trust
Lisa McPherson Trust
The Lisa McPherson Trust was an organisation created in 1999 by Bob Minton. The trust was named after Lisa McPherson, a Scientology member who died in 1995 after being in the Church of Scientology’s care for 17 days...
. Luke Lirot, the lawyer who defended Lonsdale in the matter, told the St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
: "I found him to be quite affable and truly a very intelligent man ... I certainly hope that a very thorough investigation is conducted." In his deposition, Lonsdale stated he was unemployed and began to educate himself about Scientology while working on a photography project on homeless people in Clearwater. After reading more about Scientology, he decided to shed light on the organization and irritate Scientologists. Of the claims Scientology made that Lonsdale was affiliated with the Lisa McPherson Trust, Lirot commented: "It was obvious to everybody he had nothing to do with the trust, and the trust had been disbanded and dissolved many years prior ... They just wanted to try to come up with a way to preclude him from exercising his right to picket in downtown Clearwater, and they were unsuccessful in doing that."
Scientology and Me
In May 2007, Lonsdale appeared on BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
program in a piece titled "Scientology and Me
Scientology and Me
Scientology and Me was a television documentary broadcast 14 May 2007 as part of the BBC's Panorama series. Reporter John Sweeney visited the United States to investigate whether the Church of Scientology was becoming more mainstream...
", and was interviewed about his experiences as a critic of Scientology by journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
John Sweeney
John Sweeney (journalist)
John Sweeney is an award-winning journalist and author, currently working as an investigative journalist for the BBC's Panorama series.- Investigative journalism :...
. When Sweeney asked Lonsdale why the Church of Scientology was publicizing derogatory things about him, Lonsdale replied: "They are trying to embarrass me. They try to paint you as crazy, so that no one will listen to you." During their interview, Tommy Davis arrived, opened a folder, and began to read out loud Lonsdale's criminal record. Later in the program, Sweeney was accused by Scientologist Tommy Davis of giving "convicted sexual pervert Shawn Lonsdale" a "soft interview". Sweeney yelled at Davis and lost his temper, with both men shouting at each other back and forth. A Scientology-produced video of the incident was uploaded to YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and viewed over 856,000 times.
Death
In 2007, Lonsdale let his Scientology critique website lapse, and posted less frequently on his blogs and anti-Scientology message boards and chat forums. Spokeswoman Pat Harney stated that the Church had not heard from Lonsdale for months before his death. Former Scientologist Randy Payne told the St. Petersburg Times that Lonsdale "found it impossible" to make a living while spending the majority of his time as a critic of Scientology. Payne stated that in December 2007 Lonsdale had found steady work, and had planned to go back to school in order to get a private investigator's license.Clearwater police discovered Lonsdale's body after they were alerted by neighbors and found a garden hose connecting the exhaust pipe of Lonsdale's car with one of the windows of his home. Clearwater police spokeswoman Elizabeth Daly-Watts stated that there were no signs of foul play involved, and that police found what they believed to be a suicide note
Suicide note
A suicide note or death note is a message that states the author has died by suicide, and left to be discovered and read in anticipation of suicide....
. Daly-Watts said that "It does appear to be a suicide." Police officially ruled Lonsdale's death as suicide on May 2, 2008.
Scientology spokeswoman Pat Harney called Lonsdale's apparent suicide "awful" and stated "It's just unfortunate anybody feels they have to go to that length ... I wouldn't wish that on anybody." Jerald Rowlett, a fellow Scientology critic and friend from Michigan, told The Tampa Tribune
The Tampa Tribune
The Tampa Tribune, published in Tampa, Florida, is one of two major newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area, second in circulation and readership to the St. Petersburg Times. The paper's tagline is "Life...
: "In many ways Shawn was a hero to me ... He had a hard life and a history he knew Scientology would use to hurt him. And yet he still felt strongly enough to try to inform the public about the actions of Scientology." On March 1, 2008, John Sweeney remembered Lonsdale and spoke about him on the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
program, From Our Own Correspondent. Sweeney stated: "Clearwater got that little bit more creepy recently, with the death - the police are treating it as suicide - of Shawn. When alive a Scientology spokesman said of him: 'He has no redeeming value to anyone, anywhere.' Well, he was a bit of a hero to me ... I for one mourn the loss - of a brave and singular American".