Turner v. Unification Church

473 F. Supp. 367, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14734
CourtDistrict Court, D. Rhode Island
DecidedOctober 25, 1978
DocketCiv. A. 75-0424
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 473 F. Supp. 367 (Turner v. Unification Church) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Turner v. Unification Church, 473 F. Supp. 367, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14734 (D.R.I. 1978).

Opinion

OPINION

PETTINE, Chief Judge.

The plaintiff in this case seeks to invoke this Court’s jurisdiction by claiming causes of action under numerous federal statutes, one constitutional amendment, and two Rhode Island common law counts. The defendants have filed a motion to dismiss pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) and argue that the plaintiff’s numerous and varied counts fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted; the defendants also assert that this suit is barred by the first amendment of the United States Constitution.

The plaintiff, Shelley Anne Turner, alleges that she was induced to join the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, commonly referred to as the Unification Church. The Unification Church, whose United .States headquarters are located in New York State, was founded by the well known Korean national, Sun Myung Moon. Under the auspices of the Unification Church and its spiritual leader, Reverend Moon, such organizations as the International One World Crusade, Inc. have been incorporated and serve as the proselytizing arm of the Church.

On July 29, 1973, Shelley Anne Turner, aged nineteen, attended an International One World Crusade “rally” at which Reverend Moon spoke. After being induced to join the Unification Church, Turner claims that the defendants Moon, Unification Church, and One World Crusade conspired to hold her in peonage and involuntary servitude. Constant threats against Turner placed her in fear and destroyed her ability to resist the will of the defendants. As a result of this alleged coercion, Turner was forced to work long hours — “often more *371 than 12 hours per day” — of “compulsory service” soliciting money and selling such items as candies, flowers and tickets for Unification Church rallies. For these efforts, Turner apparently received no monetary compensation but was provided with food and shelter. Despite her long hours of service, the defendants allegedly failed to pay contributions on her behalf under the Federal Insurance Contribution Act and intentionally failed to furnish her with a so-called “W-2” statement of earnings. Due to this alleged involuntary servitude, Turner suffered grave physical, emotional, and economic harm; in addition, the defendants’ alleged activities resulted in her being deprived of the advantageous relationship of her family’s love and affection. This alleged state of affairs continued from the summer of 1974 until mid-1975. After mid-1975, Turner apparently managed to break away from the Unification Church and soon thereafter filed suit in this Court.

For the sake of clarity, the plaintiff’s asserted causes of action should be divided into five categories. First, on the basis of her being held in involuntary servitude, Turner claims violations of 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981, 1983, and 1985. Second, Turner seeks to imply a cause of action directly under the thirteenth amendment of the United States Constitution. Third, the plaintiff wishes this Court to imply civil causes of action from federal criminal statutes forbidding peonage (18 U.S.C. § 1581), involuntary servitude (18 U.S.C. § 1583), and the criminal enforcement provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. §§ 6674, 7204, 7202). Fourth, Turner alleges a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act and asserts a cause of action under the civil enforcement provision of that Act (29 U.S.C. § 216). Fifth, the plaintiff alleges a quantum meruit claim for the services she performed for the Unification Church and asserts a tort claim for the alienation of her parents’ and friends’ affection. Because plaintiff is a resident of Rhode Island and claims damages over ten thousand dollars, she asserts these state claims under the Court’s diversity jurisdiction, 28 U.S.C. § 1332.

The above listed causes of action reflect a liberal reading of the plaintiff’s somewhat confusing complaint which is especially proper when considering a motion to dismiss. Fed.R.Civ.P. 8(f). And, of course, when considering a motion to dismiss, the plaintiff’s factual allegations must be accepted as true. Despite this Court’s broad approach to the complaint, this Court is compelled to grant the defendant’s motion to dismiss. In ruling on this motion, the Court initially finds that the free exercise clause of the first amendment does not immunize the defendants from causes of action that allege involuntary servitude or intentional tortious activity.' Therefore, the plaintiff’s pleadings and novel causes of action deserve careful consideration. However, examination reveals, the plaintiff has failed to state any claims upon which relief may be granted.

I.

Despite defendants’ assertions, the free exercise clause of the first amendment does not prohibit a court from entertaining this suit. Deciding this case and applying the various cited statutes to the defendants’ conduct would not require this Court to test the validity of Reverend Moon’s religious beliefs or constitute any other interference with the Unification Church’s religious liberty.

The first amendment absolutely protects the holding of any religious belief, no matter how bizarre or irrational. Reynolds v. United States, 98 U.S. 145, 166-67, 25 L.Ed. 244 (1878); Cantwell v. Connecticut, 310 U.S. 296, 303-04, 60 S.Ct. 900, 84 L.Ed. 1213 (1940). Likewise, indoctrination and initiation procedures, conditions of membership and the motivation of one who joins a religious group are usually not subject to judicial review. See United States v. Ballard, 322 U.S. 78, 64 S.Ct. 882, 88 L.Ed. 1148 (1944); United States v. Seeger, 380 U.S. 163, 85 S.Ct. 850, 13 L.Ed.2d 733 (1965). However, the “operational activities” of a religion, those activities that are not solely in the ideological or intellectual *372 realm, are subject to judicial review and may be regulated to achieve a sufficiently important state objective. Prince v. Massachusetts, 321 U.S. 158, 64 S.Ct. 438, 88 L.Ed.

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Bluebook (online)
473 F. Supp. 367, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14734, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/turner-v-unification-church-rid-1978.