Software Company's Scientology-Loving Handbook

Two former executives have been waging a court battle against Diskeeper, alleging the software company's CEO, a Scientologist, practiced religious discrimination. As it turns out, they have documents intended to prove it.

The company's former CIO and Automation Planning Officer failed to injoin Diskeeper from using the teachings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard in the administration of the company. Now the Burbank, California company is going for the legal jugular, seeking summary dismissal of the case.

Amid this legal tussle, plaintiffs attorney Barry Kaufman filed a legal declaration containing the text of a "Diskeeper Company Handbook." You can read it in full here. In a nutshell, it has CEO Craig Jensen (pictured) speaking in the style of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard — and citing him directly.

Take the three-page excerpt below. It is part of what Jensen dubbed an "ESI (Executive Software International) Policy Directive," nomenclature not unlike Hubbard's "HCO (Hubbard Communications Office) Policy Letter."

And sure enough, right there at the top of the document, Jensen specifically cites two HCO PLs, of 1984. It goes on to echo Scientology's cosmo-apocalyptic language ("the situation here on Earth is one of not-so-quiet desparation"); intergalactic imagery ("a star-high goal"); and megalomaniacal ambition ("I have... set forth a goal... for the creation of a new civilization here on Earth").

Hubbard and his teachings are name-checked constantly — in 10 of 19 paragraphs.

It remains to be seen whether a court will accept the manual as evidence of religious bias. But it makes at least one thing clear: If the market for disk defragmentation software dries up, Jensen could probably develop a reasonably lucrative sideline in science fiction. Or the enthusiastic writer could just start a religion of his own.