A judge has ruled that stalking and intimidation cases involving four women against actor Danny Masterson of the Church of Scientology must be brokered.
On Wednesday, Los Angeles District Supreme Court Justice Steven Kleifield ruled that the Church of Scientology’s complaints must be settled through “religious arbitration,” as an arbitration agreement already exists that will force all disputes that way.
That means harassment complaints from Chrissie Carnell Bixler, her husband, musician Cedric Bixler-Zavala, and two Jane Does, who are now back in the hands of the Church. The judge did not rule on a similar complaint from Marie Bobette Riales, who was not a member of the Church of Scientology and had no arbitration agreement.
Masterson was due to be charged with three rapes on January 6th between 2001 and 2003.
The women alleged Masterson raped or sexually assaulted them in the early 2000s, but did not report the assaults to the LAPD until late 2016 and early 2017. After speaking to the police, they said they had been harassed and threatened by suspected agents of the Church of Scientology.
Masterson has denied the rape claims but was removed from the Netflix series The Ranch in December 2017.
Masterson’s attorney Andrew Brettler told Variety, “This was absolutely the right result. We look forward to settling the claims as directed by the court. “
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