Judith Stephens' bogus credentials Bogus academic and professional credentials
Stephens has claimed in promotional material to have "two
science degrees in Human Nutrition." That's just the start
of her long list of fake credentials:
 B.S.: Stephens testified
under oath in 1992 that she has a Bachelor of Science degree
from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. The university has
no record of this.
M.S.: Stephens also
testified under oath in 1992 that she has a Master of Science
degree from University of Idaho. That university also has no
record of this.
R.N.: When posing
under one of her assumed names, Stephens claimed to be an R.N.
Texas state records show that she was never a registered nurse.
CPE: In 1998, Stephens
began using the credential "CPE," the designation
certified by the American Electrology Association as Certified
Professional Electrologist. When AEA complained, she changed
this to "Certified Pilo Electrologist," and later
to "PE." She finally dropped it after AEA lawyers
contacted the Texas Attorney General.
University teacher: In
a 1995 article, Stephens told a reporter that she taught "clinical
nutrition to nursing students at the Edinburg location of the
University of Texas." A bit of an exaggeration, since University
of Texas Pan-American records show she was not a faculty member.
Other degrees: Stephens
was quoted in a 1995 article that "she earned a degree
in Home Economics and food science technology and became a pediatric
nutritionist. Later she was an administrator on the Mexican-American
Migrant Nutritional Status project with the University of Colorado
Medical School." In other words, she probably graduated
high school after studying home economics and worked as support
staff at University of Colorado.
Inventor: Even though
Stephens claims she's an inventor, her competitor AHRS holds
the patent and was cleared by FDA before GHR, indicating her
"invention" is simply an AHRS clone.
Assumed names
Her full legal name is listed as Judith Lindaly Stephens,
but she has gone by other names. She also frequently posts to
internet message boards under assumed names, pretending to be
a consumer while promoting GHR and attacking those who question
GHR's claims. Among her known aliases:
Judith G Stephens:
Name that's appeared with altered middle initial in phone listings
and in public filings with creditors. Also sometimes drops the
"ly" and changes middle name to Linda,
as she did in her bankruptcy filings.
Linda Gardner: As
Linda Gardner, Stephens attempted to take the CPE electrology
certification examination in 1992. She also claimed to be a
Registered Nurse who was associated with the Dallas Institute
of Electrolysis. Using this alias, she sent letters to an electrolysis
trade magazine promoting GHR. Unfortunately, she was using the
name of a real registered nurse in Dallas, who was not happy
to find out about this.
Marissa Copeland:
Also in 1992, Stephens attempted to get admitted to an electrolysis
trade convention under the name Marissa Copeland, who was supposedly
a student at the non-existent Dallas Institute of Electrolysis.
Related to inventors Thomas Edison and Robert Fulton
A biographical article at GHR's promotion site
says of "inventor" Stephens: "Her inventive style
may be inherited... she claims great-great uncles Thomas Alva
Edison and Robert Fulton."
Well, considering Fulton and Edison were born 82 years apart,
and Edison has no living descendants, I called her on her lie.
When pressed, Stephens said, "I told that reporter and I'll
tell you -- I couldn't remember how many greats to put in there
but I have a quilt passed down through my family and made by Robert
Fulton's mom. Why would I have it if it weren't available to me
from my family lineage?"
I suppose her genealogical link to Edison is that her family
owns a light bulb. She sticks by this story, allowing a reporter
in 1999 to say Edison as her "distant relative."
Stephens , who is a genealogy buff, is fond using assumed names
from her family tree. On 27 May 1998, Stephens claimed
My Scottish ancestery consists of Lee's (yes, the Lee's of
Virginia as in Robert E Lee and Martha Washington, great, great
aunt of Robert Fulton, etc.), Fultons and Gardners,
all septs of the Clan Gordon. Thomas Alva Edison is more distant
on the Family Tree but he's perched there nonetheless.
Gardners, huh? as in Linda Gardner? Does this
mean she's also using the name Cook as an assumed
name?
Named "Woman of the Year"
The same article claims that in 1995, "In recognition of
her achievement in developing the GHR system, Stephens was recently
named Woman of the Year by Who's Who Among Outstanding Americans
and is the first woman inventor ever to be listed."
Turns out, Stephens is merely listed in a vanity publication
with a similar name instead of the well-known Who's Who.
Either Stephens got a taste of her own medicine and fell for a
misleading scam, or she's using this misleading scam knowingly
to legitimize herself and her product in the eyes of consumers.
Either way, it's pretty pathetic.
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