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Former Narconon Arrowhead President Speaks About Center's Operations

After three deaths within a nine month period, the former President of a drug rehab facility with ties to the Church of Scientology is speaking about the facilty's inside operations.

Fox 25 first told you about deaths at Narconon Arrowhead back in May. Since then several agencies have launched investigations into the facility, including the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and the Pittsburg County District Attorney's Office. The DA is looking into whether to file criminal charges against the center for the latest death that happened behind its walls.

Now the facility's former President is coming forward after years of staying silent about what he says really happens at Narconon Arrowhead.

Lucas Catton worked for Narconon Arrowhead around five years. He was President of the facility until 2004. Catton also helped recruit people to attend Narconon Arrowhead, and that's where he says some of the patients sometimes did't know what they were signing up for until they arrived.

"I felt like I was misled for many years and bought into a lot of things that either weren't necessarily true or that I compromised in some way," said Lucas Catton.

Lucas Catton first arrived at Narconon Arrowhead as a patient. He later worked at the facility and eventually became President. But since Catton left Narconon Arrowhead, there have been four deaths connected to the facility. Three of the deaths happened at the center within a nine month period.

"Given the situations and the tragedies recently, clearly there's medical attention that was not given," said Catton. "Otheriwse these people could have beem saved, or at least not all or I'm sure more of them could have been."

Former Narconon Arrowhead patient Colin Henderson says he found out about the facility on the internet.

A video on Narconon Arrowhead's website says, "Narconon's new life detoxification program is the culmination of L. Ron Hubbard's drug rehabilitiation research and is the only program of its kind."

Henderson says he spoke to a recruiter on the phone before deciding to go to the center. Henderson says he had concerns about Narconon being connected to Scientology, because its website referred to L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Chuch of Scientology.
 
"I need to be sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no Scientology practices or teachings going on at this facility," said Colin Henderson. "And the answer I received was absolutely not. We just use the L. Ron Hubbard technologies."

Henderson says he checked out of the rehab program two weeks after arriving.

"I felt like I was being coerced into the Chuch of Scientology," said Henderson.

Narconon Arrowhead's CEO Gary Smith sent Fox 25 a statement saying: "Narconon is a non religious program, meaning it does not require a client to make any religious choices."

However, Catton says the rehab program at Narconon is more affiliated with Scientology than some recruiters sometimes claim.

"It's set up as introductory courses that are also available at a local Church of Scientology, however they're re-branded and toned down a little bit to where it's supposed to be just for Narconon, just for substance abusers," said Catton.

Catton says he used to help the facility recruit clients.

"I don't doubt for a second that some of them would lie," said Catton. 

Catton says recruiters operate referral websites and those recruiters are paid 10% of the $30,000 tuition fee if someone signs up. He says recruiters are not always honest about the facility's ties to Scientology.

"It really depends on the integrity of the person answering and working the referral process," said Catton. "But I don't doubt that for a second that people may have outright lied to them or misled them completely."

Narconon Arrowhead's CEO says, "All staff working with new admissions ensures they fully understand the Narconon program and the fact that it is based (on) the developments of L.Ron Hubbard."

However, Catton says the deception doesn't end there. He points to Narconon Arrowhead's website, which touts a "more than 70% success rate."

"It's definitely a misleading statistic," said Catton.

Catton says the number is based on the amount of people the facility is able to contact.

"But when you're factoring in a statistic saying that 70% of graduates are doing well, when you're not even contacting all the graduates to come up with a statistic like that, then it's not going to be accurate," said Catton.

Now that Catton no longer works for Narconon, he hopes to make a difference by finally telling his story.

"Any loss of life is hopefully unnecessary and specifically in a case like this, where they're going to a place like this for help and there's potential or apparent negligence involved, that 's absolutely tragic," said Catton.

Some former Narconon Arrowhead patients and family members are planning a protest at the facility. It's scheduled for Saturday. Fox 25 will be there.

The CEO of Narconon Arrowhead sent Fox 25 a letter about the recent deaths at the facility. Here is a link to the entire letter:
http://www.okcfox.com//newsroom/features/files/NNAH OPEN LETTER082012.pdf

MARISA MENDELSON
FOX 25
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
MLMENDELSON@OKCFOX.COMFormer Narconon Arrowhead President Speaks About Center's Operations

Posted: Tuesday, August 21 2012, 09:37 PM CDT