Public schools will not
host Narconon program

Answer: State Department of Education officials are not allowing Narconon presentations at public schools. In February, state education officials stopped Narconon's drug prevention and education presentations at public schools on Oahu after Narconon received a negative evaluation by the California Department of Education.

The California evaluation "found that the program offered inaccurate and unscientific information and was inconsistent with research-based practices."

Based on the evaluation, California State Schools Superintendent Jack O'Connell urged his schools to drop the program, which is based on the work of L. Ron Hubbard, who founded the Church of Scientology.

"We agree with California that Narconon's program is not science-based, is misleading, and there are serious questions about the accuracy of the information delivered. Therefore, the department has decided to deny Narconon permission to make any further presentations in Hawaii's public schools," Clayton Fujie, deputy schools superintendent, said in a letter sent last month to all assistant superintendents, complex-area superintendents and principals.

Clark Carr, president of Hollywood-based Narconon International, said in a statement that "the education's department's actions are erroneously based on a highly prejudiced report done by a California-based organization which intentionally did not examine the volume of facts presented to them concerning the scientific basis and underlying efficacy of the NN program."