LEGAL HIJINKS

The Spectacular Bitchfight Brewing Between Marcus Bachmann And Truth Wins Out

Quick recap: John Becker from Truth Wins Out posed as a patient in Marcus Bachmann’s clinic in order to collect hidden camera footage of the clinic’s ex-gay therapy. As part of his ruse, Becker signed a contract promising to pay for any missed sessions. And afterwards he cancelled his two last sessions as required in the contract. Months after Becker aired the expose, Marcus Bachmann personally called Becker and threatened to hire a collection agency if Becker did not pay the $150 owed for his missed sessions. Now a lawyer with Truth Wins Out has called out Bachmann’s bluff, calling his therapy “dubious and questionable [and] not worthy of any billing at all.”

Bust out your popcorn, girls! This is getting good.

Here are the choicest cuts from an oh so withering letter sent to Marcus Bachmann & Associates, Inc. by Norm Kent, Esquire, lawyer for Truth Wins Out:

you have personally called my client demanding he remit immediate payment to Bachmann & Associates in the amount of $150.00 for cancelled appointments. In truth and in fact, these so called appointments were timely canceled pursuant to and in compliance with your clinic’s stated procedures.

According to Bachmann & Associates’ no-show policy, patients are assessed a $75 fee for each appointment that they miss without giving prior notification. Becker’s telephone records indicate that he called the clinic in early July to cancel his remaining sessions, giving Bachmann & Associates ample time to schedule appointments with other clients…

To be quite frank, in reputable and ethical mental health practices, the billing department usually handles collections. We are gravely concerned that you contacted my client out of spite, because he disclosed the truth about the discredited and outmoded techniques practiced in your office, instead exposing the way you misled the public- by denying that this “therapy” was even taking place…

Accordingly, should you take any action against Mr. Becker, we will also allege that your actions constitute a purposeful and malicious prosecution, albeit for a ridiculously small stipend. We will be interested in the civil discovery process to find out from you in a deposition how often you personally call up clients to collect on an alleged $150 debt. Your answer under oath will be most probative.-

It appears that the goal of your unwarranted attacks is to publicly defame and discredit Mr. Becker and impugn his reputation by portraying him as a deadbeat unwilling to pay his bills.

At another point Kent says:

As you know, the American Psychiatric Association says that attempts to alter one’s sexual orientation can lead to “anxiety, depression, and self-destructive behavior.” Truth Wins Out has conclusively documented your office engaging in this discredited “therapy” while masquerading it as treatment.

If you go forward with your claim, we are prepared to show that your clinic’s presentations and practices are specious and surreptitious, unworthy of financial compensation. In furtherance of our assertion, we are going to ask the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General to investigate your policies, practices, and procedures. Specifically, we are going to ask them to evaluate the purported ‘scientific’ basis for your patently false representations that your clinic offers ‘therapeutic’ services…

And then Kent delivers the coup de grace:

Therefore, we hereby demand that you immediately cease and desist from your harassment and intimidation of my client and his employer. Please do not embarrass yourself or your firm further by attempting to collect a debt that you are not owed for a point you cannot make.

Sweet Jesus that was fun to read! “Please do not embarrass yourself or your firm further.” Brilliant! Has Norm Kent, Esquire written any novels? Because if he has, we definitely wanna get our greedy little paws all over that little masterpiece.

Anyway, the letter goes onto say that Bachmann has 72 hours to dismiss his claim against Becker and that if he doesn’t, Kent will “engage counsel and institute appropriate legal actions of our own against your firm” based on the three following arguments:

1) Becker followed the rules and cancelled his last sessions in a way that should have incurred no debt,

2) Bachmann’s ex-gay therapy practice is a sham meant “to defraud otherwise innocent parties” of their cash and mental well-being and

3) Bachmann is a petty dillhole who has personally targeted Becker’s $150 as malicious retaliation for exposing the ex-gay therapy that Bachmann said wasn’t happening there.

There’s even an online petition pressuring Bachmann into quitting his miserly ways and ending his practice of ex-gay therapy.

Nevertheless, you bet your asses we’re gonna be waiting with Orville Redenbacher, some SweetTarts and a bucket of Diet Shasta to see what happens in 72 hours. It’ll be like Christmas, only gayer and with more lawsuits!

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