Best Jehovah's Witness Breach of Confidentiality

Any Employer who has a Jehovah's Witness Employee who is given access to the employer's records which contain confidential personal information -- be it that of the employer's customers, fellow employees, or some other group/class of individuals -- should read and re-read this webpage until "the light not only comes on", but is burning brightly. This applies not merely to clerical employees at banks, insurance agencies/companies, attorneys offices, courthouses, medical offices, hospitals, accounting firms, postal and parcel delivery services, etc., but also includes the "professionals" in these same/similar businesses who are subject to professional codes of conduct.

Medical patients should be aware that it is now quite common for Doctors to outsource the transcribing of their patients' medical records to work-at-home medical transcriptionists, many of whom are fanatical Jehovah's Witnesses who purposefully choose this occupation so that they can work at night and knock doors in the afternoons.

Any parent involved in a child custody contest in which the opposing party is one of Jehovah's Witnesses should be wary of any entity performing work related to the lawsuit which has Jehovah's Witness Employees or subcontractors who might be able to access your confidential information.

We suggest that visitors to this webpage first take the time to visit, browse, read, and even study our WATCHTOWER SOCIETY SPIES & SECRET AGENTS webpage before you start reading this webpage. Having a feel for life "behind the scenes" inside the WatchTower Cult and its local Congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses will give readers a greater appreciation for and better understanding of the Jehovah's Witnesses related Breach of Medical Confidentiality cases and other types of Jehovah's Witnesses related Breach of Confidentiality cases posted on this webpage.

In a February 2012 WATCHTOWER magazine "study article", lip service is first paid to maintaining "confidentiality", before that same "study article" then teaches its Jehovah's Witnesses readers that they are BIBLICALLY OBLIGATED to ignore how they obtained the confidential information about certain fellow Jehovah's Witnesses friends, relatives, and acquaintances, and to report that confidential information to the Body of Elders at their local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.

"If discerning Christians receive confidential information of any kind pertaining to the congregation, they keep it to themselves until Jehovah's organization sees good to make it known by its own means of publication." -- 3/15/97.

"Of course, loyalty to Jehovah and his righteous principles, as well as love for erring individuals, may occasionally necessitate telling parents, Christian elders, or other authorized ones even confidential matters." -- 6/1/97.

What should we do if we come to know about serious wrongdoing in the congregation? ... Guidelines are found in the Law ... if a person was a witness to apostate acts, sedition, murder, or certain other serious crimes, it was his responsibility to report it, and to testify to what he knew. Leviticus 5:1 states: "... a soul sins ... if he does not report it, then he must answer for his [own sin]." ... You may decide to go directly to the elders. It is not wrong to do so. Usually, however, the most loving course is to approach the person involved. ... If the person does not report to the elders within a reasonable period of time, then you should. ... But suppose the person does deny the charge and you are the only witness against him. Could you now be open to a countercharge of slander? ... It is not slanderous to report conditions affecting a congregation to those having authority and responsibility to oversee and correct matters. [REALLY???] -- 8/15/97.

JEHOVAH'S WITNESS ELDER ET AL v. FORMER BANK EMPLOYER was a 2013-17 Trinidad "employment - wrongful termination" lawsuit which well illustrates the audacity and warped mindset of Jehovah's Witnesses to those unfamiliar with the WatchTower Cult and its Jehovah's Witness followers. Readers should bear in mind that it was this Jehovah's Witness ELDER himself who filed this lawsuit, and it was this JW Elder himself who did so fully knowing that his illegal-immoral-unethical actions would be made public, and would be made subject to the scrutiny of not only the Trinidad courts, but eventually would be made subject to the scrutiny of the entire world.

JWELDER had been employed by a major commercial Bank in Trinidad in its' COMPUTER DEPARTMENT. One or more other employees at this large Bank also were Jehovah's Witnesses. In August 2012, while "supposedly" searching through the Bank's backup hard drive for unrelated accounting information, JWELDER "accidentally" stumbled across some sexually explicit material which showed one of his female Jehovah's Witness co-workers committing ADULTERY. Unbelievably, JWELDER even COPIED the evidence onto an external storage device.

To JWELDER's credit, he did not immediately disclose that confidential information to others. No, JWELDER went privately to his COWORKER three times before he revealed that confidential information to others. Initially, JWELDER disclosed to his COWORKER that he had discovered her ADULTERY, and recommended that she be the one to disclose such to the Elders at her own Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. COWORKER rejected JWELDER's admonitions, and told JWELDER to mind his own business. JWELDER then took the COPIED information and ratted out COWORKER to the Elders at her own Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses. Only then did COWORKER belatedly report what JWELDER had been doing to the Bank's administration.

JWELDER was FIRED for gross misconduct in December 2012. In the termination letter the Bank said that he had "violated or infringed on the rights of the staff member," which was in breach of the Bank's policies. The Bank had lost confidence in him, and believed that he had brought the Bank into disrepute. He had accessed information about a staff member without authorisation, copied the information onto an external storage device, and disclosed that confidential information to an outside third party,

Thereafter, JWELDER had the audacity to file a complaint with his Union, which at least was smart enough in this lawsuit on JWELDER's behalf to only argue that the Bank had failed to properly follow all of the established disciplinary procedures. That argument ultimately was rejected by the Trinidad court for the reason that JWELDER's self-righteous admission of what he had done left the Bank with no choice but terminate his employment.

The Bank had little difficulty winning this lawsuit. JWELDER was PROUD of what he had done, and he freely admitted such to everyone, because according to his WatchTower Cult training, he was in the "right", and the Bank was in the "wrong". His employer had no right or rights, legal or otherwise, to stop him from doing what he had been trained -- and REQUIRED -- to do by the WatchTower Cult.

JWELDER rationalized that he had first approached COWORKER to "remind her of the vows that she made upon her baptism and assist her in restoring her relationship with her God Jehovah." JWELDER declared that COWORKER's unconfessed adultery "would bring reproach on the name of our Holy God Jehovah, and would additionally disrupt the free flow of the Holy Spirit in the Christian congregation." After COWORKER refused to turn herself in to her own JW Elders, JWELDER had turned in COWORKER due to his "desire to protect the cleanness of Christian congregation."

Back in the mid-1980s, when the world still depended on mostly paper records, a secretly doubting Jehovah's Witness was greatly surprised when his declining loyalty began to be questioned by members of his local Body of Elders. JWMale apparently was still in the "investigation" phase of his eventual exit from the Cult, but his local Congregation Elders would soon force his hand. JWMale had been careful not to share any of his "questions" with either his wife, other family members, or friends.

JWMale's only "risky" behavior were a couple of purchases of "apostate" literature from one of the larger counter-cult ministries. JWMale had taken the obvious precaution of having the two orders mailed to his work address, and both arrived in what seemed to be unopened condition. The sensible ministry also had sent those orders in unmarked, unidentifiable envelopes.

However, JWMale was soon invited to a Judicial Committee Hearing to discuss his status as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. There, JWMale was completely caught offguard when he was shown only ever-so-briefly "photocopies" of the two personal checks with which he had paid for the two orders of apostate literature.

Later, after having mulled over the situation, JWMale was certain that noone had taken the two checks from his two personal bank acount statements. Pondering the situation, JWMale also was certain that he had not given anyone locally any reason whatsoever to illegally monitor his bank account continuously in the event that he might be sufficiently stupid to order apostate literature, and send a personal check as payment. JWMale also was sure that his local bank did not employ any fellow Jehovah's Witnesses.

The only scenario that made any reasonable sense was that the WatchTower Society must have inserted a "spy" in the bank where the counter-cult ministry did its banking. There, such a "spy" would have continuous and ongoing access to all the deposited personal and business checks sent to that counter-cult ministry from disloyal Jehovah's Witnesses and others from all across the United States. That would explain how JWMale's local Elders had obtained photocopies of the two checks.

IF, the WatchTower Cult would go to such an extreme to monitor one counter-cult ministry, then such could mean that they probably had done the same thing to other counter-cult ministries. And, for those most active counter-cult ministries, it only would make sense that if "spies" were inserted inside local banks, then "spies" also would have been inserted inside the local Post Offices to watch out for incoming and outgoing mail with identifying exterior markings and/or addresses. Any readers who think that these suggestions are "over the top" simply do not understand who is the WatchTower Cult, nor understand of what the Cult is capable. Use the link above to go read our two "SPIES" webpages.

The above story should not be taken to mean that infiltration of a "suspected apostate's" local bank is beyond reason. We know of one highly intelligent former Jehovah's Witness whose "investigation" phase stretched out over a three year long period as his "study" of the Society's chronology was done openly in front of the initially "cooperative" Body of Elders, and included multiple letters to/from Brooklyn Bethel HQ.

However, when things DID finally turn sour (and they always will), during that final year when JWInquirer stopped field service and stopped attending most meetings, but otherwise gave his BOE no reason to disfellowship him, he was not-so-surprised one day when he overheard his still active JW wife gossiping in their living room with a visiting JW sister. Both JW Sisters were "scratching their heads" because the JW wife of a pioneering Elder couple, who had been trying for several years to get themselves invited to GILEAD, had stopped pioneering, and had sought and obtained a teller's job at the small local bank where JWInquirer and his wife did their banking.

(Readers also should understand that based on his local BOE's evaluation of JWInquirer's "minimal" abilities, Brooklyn Bethel Writing Dept. had "guaranteed" the local BOE that JWInquirer was getting all his "chronology stuff" from the apostate book, "Gentile Times Reconsidered". JWInquirer still laughs at that one. JWInquirer had a Genius IQ; was an avid researcher, and had won multiple academic and professional awards, including four scholarships to grad school, where he had won BOTH of the only two available awards his first year, yet every single member of the local Body of Janitors and Painters ALL thought they were more intelligent and more knowledgable than he.)

In August 1985, a "dirty little secret" which the WatchTower Cult had been able to keep quiet for decades was exposed to the rest of the world by an article published in MEDICAL ECONOMICS magazine. The article was written by an obstetrician practicing in Plano, Texas. The doctor opens:

The doctor was well pleased with Toni's skills as a childbirth educator, and approximately a year later, he offered Toni a position in his office as receptionist and bookkeeper. He continues:

The doctor found Toni to be as proficient at this new job as she had been at the former. But, then ...

The doctor was shocked. He could not believe that Toni would have done such a thing. After all, he had discussed "confidentiality" at length with Toni before hiring her. His personnel manual even covered "confidentiality" - specifying immediate termination for any employee who would violate a patient's privacy. However, the doctor was in for a rude awakening:

Toni's ready response shocked the doctor more than if Toni had carelessly gossiped the information to church members. Instead, Toni had carefully thought the situation over before making her decision. Toni had considered both her employment relationship and her personal friendship with both the doctor and his wife, and after considering the damage that would be done to them, Linda, and herself, Toni had decided that her only loyalty was to her Jehovah's Witness religion. For those unfamiliar with the Jehovah's Witnesses, the doctor's response is somewhat typical:

When the doctor hung up, he knew that he needed to contact his attorney. His attorney counseled him that he was legally responsible for the harm Toni had caused Linda. Despite his properly training Toni on "confidentiality", he was still ultimately responsible. At best, he could sue Toni for whatever he was forced to compensate Linda - assuming Toni had it to get. The doctor also discovered that his expensive Medical Malpractice insurance policy did not have the endorsement which would cover such a situation. Finally, the attorney recommended that the doctor fire Toni immediately. Despite what Toni had done, their long friendship made firing her extremely difficult. If only this had simply been a momentary error in judgment.

"But I never heard from her again." The sad fact is, doctor, that neither has anyone else. "Linda" most likely accepted the Jehovah's Witnesses punishment of "disfellowshipping" and "shunning", and when the Elders thought that she was sufficiently repentant, she was allowed to rejoin her family, friends, and the rest of the JW community. Undoubtedly, there was either a spoken or unspoken agreement that "Linda" would never speak publicly about this again, if she knew what was good for her.

Exactly two years after that MEDICAL ECONOMICS magazine article was published, the September 1, 1987 issue of the WATCHTOWER magazine featured an article entitled: "'A Time to Speak - When?". Non-JWs should understand that the WATCHTOWER magazine is the main JW publication -- whose printed words are given equal authority to that of the Bible by JW members. Interestingly, the article opens:

The first subheading, "Applying Bible Principles", opens with the points that if a Jehovah's Witness commits "serious wrongdoing", they should not try to conceal it. Jehovah sees everything, and hidden sins will eventually be accounted for. Then, one of the most important points in the entire article is subtly made:

Allow me to "interpret" from JW-Speak to plain English what that last statement actually means to JWs: Sometimes, when a fellow Jehovah's Witness has been fornicating with Satan, and they are hiding their evil deeds so that they can keep doing more without getting caught, Jehovah will 'test' one of his loyal subjects by revealing the evil JW's sin to them, so that they can then expose the evildoer to JW leaders, who in turn will disfellowship the evildoer, and thereby keep the congregation spiritually 'pure'.

Again, for non-JWs, allow me to "interpret" from JW-Speak to plain English: If Jehovah blesses you with the mission to help clean an evildoer out of the congregation, and you fail to do your part, then you have not simply sinned yourself - your sin is even greater than the sin you are helping to conceal. You are a "co-conspirator". You are a greater sinner than even the person who's sin you are helping to hide. You chose the evildoer over Jehovah.

After discussing the fact that this Watchtower rule may sometimes cause great difficulties for Jehovah's Witnesses who are lawyers, doctors, accountants, etc., as well as Jehovah's Witnesses who are employed by doctors, hospitals, courts, lawyers, accountants, etc., this article ends with this encouragement:

Allow us to "interpret" this WATCHTOWER magazine article for those readers who do not understand JW-ESE. Jehovah's Witnesses are REQUIRED, both by GOD's direct command, and the "oath" individual JWs make to GOD when joining the WatchTower Cult, to report any sinful conduct on the part of a fellow JW to WatchTower leaders. This REQUIREMENT supersedes any other oath, promise, or contract which the individual JW has made, or will make, to any insignificant humans or human institutions which are going to be destroyed anyway at the coming any-day-now Armageddon.

Employers who still don't "get it", and naively believe that the threat of termination, or even the threat of being sued for damages, is a deterrent to such a breach of confidentiality, simply do not comprehend the Jehovah's Witness mentality. The vast majority of JWs would jump at the chance to suffer "martyrdom" for their cause. These are the same people who refuse to consent to life-saving blood transfusions for either themselves, their spouses, or their dying children. These are the same people who have gone door-knocking every weekend for the past 10, 20, 30, or more years, and have never made a single convert. JWs believe in "salvation by works", not "salvation by faith". Like Muslims, martyrdom is the closest thing that JWs have to an assurance of personal salvation.

After that revealing and shocking WATCHTOWER magazine article was published in September 1987 (actually released several weeks prior to the publication date), on August 27, 1987, the Los Angeles Times published an article entitled: CHURCH TOLD TO BREAK PRIVACY, REPORT 'SINNER'. In part:

After that LA Times article was published, and republished in other newspapers, this 1987 Associated Press article was released and published in multiple newspapers across the United States. In part:

In February 1988, the American Bar Association's ABA JOURNAL also published an article addressing how this newly revealed WatchTower teaching on "confidentiality" impacted the legal profession. The article subtitled, "JEHOVAH'S WITNESS LAWYERS, WORKERS FACE DILEMMA", stated in part:

In the February 1, 1988, edition of The Hastings Center Report, an article authored by Courtney S. Campbell, entitled, THE PURE CHURCH AND THE PROBLEM OF CONFIDENTIALITY, insightfully addressed how the newly revealed WatchTower teaching on "confidentiality" impacted the medical profession. The article stated in part:

The following CONFIDENTIALITY scenario was found posted on a public discussion board by a former JW:

The following CONFIDENTIALITY item was found posted on a public discussion board by a former JW:

Those readers who fully grasp the entirety of this extremely serious risk management issue will be surprised whenever any of such breaches of confidentiality see the light of day. It is the very nature of this "beast" that occurrences of breach of confidentiality very rarely, if ever, become known to its victim. The incident above reported in MEDICAL ECONOMICS magazine is one of the very few. A second incident which amazingly saw the light of day comes to us from Australia.. Bear in mind that Australia, like the United States, is a former British colony whose laws are also grounded in English common law.

PATTON v. VICTORIAN DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES was a 2002-2004 case involving a Jehovah's Witness named William Patton. Patton was an "Elder" in his local JW congregation. In 2002, Patton had been employed for more than 13 years with a "state" Department of Human Services, in the section engaged in the child protection function. In October 2002, while on the job, Patton received a telephone call from a "Mrs. W". "Mrs. W" identified herself as a fellow Jehovah's Witness. The purpose of "Mrs. W's" telephone call was to obtain information pertaining to child custody proceedings between her son and former daughter-in-law, and their four children. "Mrs. W" made sure that Patton was aware that her former daughter-in-law had been disfellowshiped (excommunicated) from the Jehovah's Witnesses. "Mrs. W" was particularly concerned that her former daughter-in-law had accused her son of sexually abusing one of his sons. Despite the fact that the topic of conversation did not involve Patton's specific job function, the telephone call between Patton and "Mrs. W" lasted 90 minutes in length. An audit of the DHS computer system revealed that Patton accessed the family's file during the 90 minute telephone call, and again after the call ended. Neither access was documented by Patton. The telephone conversation ended with Patton giving "Mrs. W" his home telephone number. During the later investigation, both Patton and "Mrs. W" lied about what all was discussed during that telephone conversation.

After the telephone call, "Mrs. W" inadvertently revealed some of the obtained information and its' source to "Mrs. M", who was the Mother of "Mrs. W's" former daughter-in-law. This would seem to indicate that "Mrs. W", "Mrs. M", and the father of the children were all Jehovah's Witnesses, who were all conspiring against the disfellowshiped former daughter-in-law. "Mrs. M" thereafter passed the info along to her daughter ("Mrs D"). "Mrs D" contacted Patton's supervisor on the day before his annual vacation started. Evidently, "Mrs D" did a poor job communicating the breach of confidentiality to Patton's supervisor, and Patton himself evidently lied to the supervisor, since the supervisor consented to Patton's request to allow him to telephone "Mrs D" to resolve her complaint. The supervisor left for vacation without further discussing the matter with Patton. A few days after Patton's call to "Mrs D", she again complained to the supervisor's replacement, and this time an internal investigation was initiated.

Patton was suspended during the lengthy 8 months DHS investigation, which ended with Patton being fired due to his accessing records which he had no authority to access; Patton's failure to document said access; and Patton's unauthorized disclosure of confidential information.

Thereafter, Patton had the gall to file a "wrongful discharge" case with the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, which proceeded to both rule in DHS's favor, as well as confirm that Patton intentionally disclosed his employer's confidential information to a fellow Jehovah's Witness, in order to harm a disfellowshiped JW; plus Patton and the Jehovah's Witness to whom he disclosed the confidential info both subsequently LIED to cover up the crime.

AUSTRALIA JW FAMILY v. JW ELDER and CHRISTIAN CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES was a February 2014 HEARING conducted by the HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION of the VICTORIAN CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL. After first summarizing this case and taking note of the multiple "lessons" taught by this case, we initially decided to post this summary in the HONESTY-DISHONESTY section of our JW BUSINESS website. Like the Charles Taze Russell MIRACLE WHEAT court case, one of the best lessons from this case is found -- not in the factual situation that gave rise to the court case -- but in the later conspiracy to cover-up those facts during the public trial.

In addition to its "lesson" on the issue of "confidentiality" within the Jehovah's Witness community, this case also serves as an excellent lesson for anyone contemplating filing a lawsuit against an individual Jehovah's Witness or one of the WatchTower Cult's affiliated entities. This case demonstrates not only what happens to a seemingly "good case" when the "proofs" of such "good case" depend and rest on the honesty of the involved Jehovah's Witnesses and the WatchTower Society, but this case also demonstrates the nearly insurmountable "presumption of innocence/non-guilt" that exists in the naive minds of liberal non-JWs about individual JWs and the WatchTower Society and its affiliated entities -- particularly officials within any governmental or quasi-governmental entity whose name includes the phrase "HUMAN RIGHTS". The multiplicity of international "Human Rights" groups/entities and their staff are tied together by both formal and informal relationships, and such international Human Rights groups/entities and their staff are to the WatchTower Cult's international affiliates what the A.C.L.U. is to the WatchTower Cult and Jehovah's Witnesses within the United States -- enablers, facilitators, co-conspirators, and partners. Ludicrously, the ACLU and the international Human Rights entities somehow manage to overlook the FACT that the biggest violator of the "human rights" of individual Jehovah's Witnesses across planet Earth -- both qualitatively and quantitatively -- is the WatchTower Society itself.

In December 2008, the 5 months-old daughter of an active, loyal Jehovah's Witness Family living in the Gippsland region of the state of Victoria, in Australia, was rushed to a local hospital following an "epilepsy-caused seizure". Being active Jehovah's Witnesses, JW Father did as he had long been taught by the WatchTower Society. At his earliest opportunity, JW Father telephoned the pre-established contact telephone number for the WatchTower Society's HOSPITAL LIAISON COMMITTEE in the state of Victoria, so that one or more Victoria HLC members could rush to the Hospital and monitor and guard against any attempted administration of blood transfusions by hospital staff or any agreement to such by the involved individual Jehovah's Witnesses.

The following day, two Jehovah's Witness Females from the family's local Kingdom Hall visited JW Family at the Hospital. The two JW Females innocently related to JW Father and JW Mother that their daughter's hospitalization had been announced from the platform by one of the JW Elders during the regular meeting held at the Kingdom Hall on the previous evening. JW Father and JW Mother testified that the two JW Females stated that the hospitalization announcement had included the additional disclosure that their daughter was "suffering from severe seizures common with epilepsy".

While non-JW readers likely find that additional disclosure quite harmless, the disclosure of their daughter's epileptic condition instantly caused JW Father and JW Mother consternation, fear, and anger. Having been reared within the Jehovah's Witness community, and thus being well educated in WatchTower beliefs and practices, JW Father and JW Mother instantly recognized the issues and problems that could possibly result from their local fellow JW congregants being informed that their baby daughter "suffered from severe seizures common with epilepsy". JW Father and JW Mother knew that the WatchTower Society had in decades past taught that "some" cases of epilepsy were linked to DEMONISM, and that "some" epileptic seizures were caused by DEMON POSSESSION. In reality, some older, lessor informed Jehovah's Witnesses automatically assumed that such was the case generally -- not simply that "some" instances "might be" the case. From the time that they had first learned of their newborn daughter's condition, JW Father and JW Mother had worried about disclosure of their daughter's condition to their fellow JWs. They knew that it was possible that both their daughter and their family might be treated differently, or worse, that both their daughter and their family might be "marked" for partial "shunning".

Discerning readers will already have noted that more than five years passed between the aforementioned events and the HEARING conducted on February 14, 2014, by the HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION of the VICTORIAN CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL. The Tribunal's published decision mentions nothing of what occurred from 2009 to 2013, but we must assume that these active, loyal Jehovah's Witnesses -- JW Father and JW Mother -- initially attempted to resolve their grievance with their local congregation and its Elders, but when no resolution resulted, JW Father and JW Mother next attempted to gain satisfaction from the WatchTower Society of Australia and its "Circuit Overseers" (District Sales Managers).

Apparently no resolution resulted, because sometime prior to 2014, JW Father and JW Mother filed this case with the HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION of the VICTORIAN CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL. JW Family appeared "pro se" -- that is, they had no attorney, but rather presented their own case. Naturally, the WatchTower Society and the individual JWs were represented by counsel, who prepared "witnesses" -- including the leader of Victoria's HLC, Peter Linke -- to present a solid case for the WatchTower Society. JW Family chose to press their claim under Australia's version of the United States' HIPAA law, that is, they alleged that their family's medical confidentiality had been breached by agents of the WatchTower Society -- whom owed them a duty of confidentiality.

At the 2014 HEARING, JW Family were NOT even able to establish with any evidence other than their own hear-say testimony WHO made the pertinent announcement at the Kingdom Hall, nor were they able to establish with any evidence any of the CONTENT of the announcement. The JW ELDER named as a "Defendant", whom JW Family alleged had made the announcement without their permission, testified under oath that he was NOT able to recall whether it was he or someone else who made the announcement at the Kingdom Hall, but interestingly, he was able to recall that the announcement was to the effect that "[daughter] is in hospital. It seems that she might have had a seizure but they are not sure. You might like to keep the family in mind in your prayers". JW Defendant further testified that after first speaking briefly with JW Father on the telephone about the hospitalization, that he traveled to the Hospital, where he spoke with JW Mother for 15 minutes in the Emergency Room, and that JW Mother gave him permission for an announcement. At the HEARING, JW Mother denied that JW Defendant spoke with her at the Hospital on the evening in question, much less that he spent 15 minutes with her in the Emergency Room. JW Mother further completely denied that she had discussed her daughter's condition with JW Defendant, and she completely denied giving permission for an announcement to be made at the Kingdom Hall. Even if readers believe that JW Mother and JW Defendant did spend time together at the Hospital, and that JW Mother did give permission for an announcement, such does not mean that permission was given to disclose the information which JW Family had long hoped would not be discovered by their fellow JW congregants -- that their baby daughter "suffered from severe seizures common with epilepsy".

In fact, the WatchTower Society presented a rebuttal witness in the form of a sworn statement from another one of the congregation's Elders, named AIDAN TAYLOR, who had given that sworn statement to "someone" gathering such back in March 2013. AIDAN TAYLOR swore that the announcement related that JW Family's baby daughter "has been taken to hospital but they don't know what the problem is".

The Tribunal noted that JW Family's sole source that the Kingdom Hall announcement disclosed that their baby daughter "suffered from severe seizures common with epilepsy", came the following day at the Hospital from "two unnamed ladies" whom had NOT been called to testify at this HEARING. By labeling the two fellow Jehovah's Witness female congregants, whom under the circumstances may have been wives of congregation Elders or Ministerial Servants, as "two unnamed ladies", the Tribunal essentially removed any credibility from them or their alleged statement. Neither did the Tribunal question why those two JW Females were not called as witnesses at this HEARING, nor did the Tribunal question why no sworn statement had been obtained from them at the time sworn statements had been taken from other members of JW Family's congregation in March 2013.

With respect to JW Family's legal claim that the WatchTower Society and its agents owed them a duty of "confidentiality" under Australian Law, JW Family had to prove that either some Congregation Elders or some local members of the WatchTower Society's HOSPITAL LIAISON COMMITTEE "collects, holds or uses health information", or in the alternative, that the WatchTower organization is a "health service provider".

Interestingly, the Tribunal's decision includes these (nearly) unbelievable remarks about JW Defendant's legal status as an "agent" of the Congregation and the WatchTower society:

[JW Defendant] is described by [JW Family] as a director of the [WatchTower Defendant]. There is no evidence before the Tribunal to that effect. Certainly he is an elder of the [Congregation] and as I (Noreen Megay) said earlier, he might, repeat might, be said to be its agent although that was not put [into evidence] by [JW Family]. But on the evidence before the Tribunal he is not amenable to this application. He is not an "organisation" contemplated by the legislation, nor is he a health service provider; he does not collect, hold or use health information.

Remembering that JW Family appeared "pro se", they apparently "assumed" that the members of the VICTORIAN CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL would automatically understand that the JW Elders, and especially Elders who were members of the WatchTower Society's local HOSPITAL LIAISON COMMITTEE, were AGENTS of both the Congregation and the WatchTower Society in their dealings with JW Family during the events in question.

To "prove" that the WatchTower Society "collects, holds or uses health information", or in the alternative, is a "health service provider", JW Father testified that while once attending a WatchTower District Convention that another daughter had been rendered "first aid" by a health care worker provided by the WatchTower Society, whom after rendering aid had "took some notes". JW Father had asked the health care worker why she had done so, and she replied, "We are required to by law." What did the Tribunal think of JW Father's testimony? The Tribunal responded:

Whether or not what was taken down was personal information as defined (and it may have been), it is not evidence that [the WatchTower Defendant] collects, holds or uses health information. Nor can the Tribunal be satisfied as to the identity or authority of the first aid officer or, indeed, the accuracy of her alleged statement.

JW Father further presented evidence that AGENTS of the WatchTower Society "collects, holds or uses health information" by presenting an official WatchTower Form labeled as: "Information About the Patient that You Need Before Contacting The HLC", which is published by the WatchTower Society, and which the WatchTower Society distributes to JW Elders for use throughout Australia. What did the Tribunal think of JW Father's evidence? The Tribunal responded:

The attachment in question is headed "Information about the patient that you need before contacting the HLC" and seeks a range of information, most of which, if answered, would constitute personal information. But to whom this is directed, what authority the author has, from what document it is extracted, is not known to the Tribunal. It certainly does not constitute evidence that [the WatchTower Defendant] collects, holds or uses health information. Mr. [PETER] LINKE, [a 44 year long JW Elder and head of the Victoria HLC who the WatchTower Society called as a witness to testify on their behalf] who has had decades of experience in relation to hospital liaison committees was not aware of the instruction document (but did not deny that it might have existed) and was emphatic that no records were required or kept. The Tribunal accepts his evidence. It follows that the Tribunal finds that [the WatchTower Defendant] is neither an organisation nor a health service provider as those terms are defined, and it does not collect, hold or use health information as contemplated by section 11 of the Act.

The ENTIRE ATTITUDE of the VICTORIAN CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL toward JW Family and their claim against the WatchTower Society was summed up well by the Tribunal's very last statement in its published decision:

This application, brought no doubt with confidence by the applicant in circumstance of great familial distress, is however entirely misconceived and should be dismissed.

No mention of "damages" occurred in the Tribunal's decision, so we don't know what JW Family sought by bringing this claim. However, if JW Family sought to make their own public disclosure about things that the WatchTower Society did not feel should be made public, then JW Family actually WON this case. This case might even have motivated the WatchTower Society to make the recently announced pending changes to the operation of HLCs. HEAVEN knows that only adversarial lawsuits will move the WatchTower Society to make necessary changes.

PATRICIA BLEDSOE v. TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH was a 2010 Tennessee federal court case. An African-American female Jehovah's Witness Employee, named Patricia Bledsoe, alleged failure to promote (racial), hostile work environment (including because of her religious beliefs), and retaliation against her state government employer, for whom she worked as a Secretary from 2000 until 2009. Pat Bledsoe also alleged additional claims of negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress under Tennessee law. The USDC granted Tennessee's motion for Summary Judgment on all federal law claims, and dismissed the associated state law claims. The lengthy USDC opinion includes this INTERESTING part:

To fully understand the significance of this case with respect to Jehovah's Witnesses and confidentiality, readers must first "get beyond" the fact that the criminal defendant murdered his own mother and deserved his arrest, conviction, and life sentence. Readers interested in the Jehovah's Witnesses and Confidentiality issue also should not get bogged down in the multiple other issues in this case. Readers should also bear in mind that this criminal's attorneys may very well appeal this decision to an even higher appellate court, which may look quite differently at the actions of the two JWs than did this court.

FLORIDA v. ELLIOTT was a 2007-11 Florida criminal court case in which Elliott was convicted of murdering his own mother. Thereafter, Elliot's counsel appealed the conviction. One of the issues on appeal was the trial court's denial of the defendant's motion "to suppress his statements to two Jehovah's Witnesses based on the clergy communications privilege."

During the murder investigation, in November 2007, Elliott was jailed on an unrelated firearm charge. While Elliott was being held at the local county jail, two Jehovah's Witness ELDERS, named Joseph Westbrook and Michael Prentice, came to visit the county jail in their capacity as Jehovah's Witness "Ministers". Elliott evidently observed and possibly overheard the JW Ministers, and Elliott motioned for them to come over to his holding cell. After receiving permission, Westbrook and Prentice entered Elliott's cell. JW Elder Michael Prentice asked Elliott what was wrong.

Elliott told the two JW Ministers that his mother had been killed, and that "they were trying to pin it on him," and that he "messed up" by disposing of her body. Elliott explained that he had been drinking for days, and that when he came home after working on his tractor, he found his mother lying in a pool of blood with no pulse.

When Elliott said that he did not want to talk about it anymore, JW Elder Michael Prentice quoted scripture about the resurrection. According to JW Elder Joseph Westbrook (this means what Westbrook stated during the trial months later), Elliott did not indicate that he was seeking spiritual counseling and guidance, and did not want to talk about the Bible or pray.

The two JW Ministers left Elliott's cell and went straight to a Deputy, and told the Deputy what Elliott had told them. The Deputy told the two JW Ministers that Elliott's mother was missing, and presumed dead; and that the authorities could not find the body; and that if Elliott was talking, then the two JW Ministers should go back and "talk to him". The two JW Ministers then went back to Elliott's cell, where JW Elder Joseph Westbrook told Elliott to "tell them where the body is because then the forensic evidence should be able to clear you and show your innocence."

Elliott was quiet for a while, and then said that he needed to talk to a lawyer. JW Minister Jospeh Westbrook brought up "the resurrection" again, and asked Elliott if he wanted to see his mother again; and referred to the [WATCHTOWER] Bible where Jesus said, "All of those in memorial tombs would come out." Westbrook noted that Elliott seemed receptive to this [ministerial] message. Westbrook asked if Elliott wanted his mother to have a decent burial, and urged him to "tell them where she's buried." Elliott responded that his mother was not buried, but was "on top of the ground", on the farm, in bones or in pieces. Elliott again said that he wanted to talk to a lawyer.

The two JW Ministers then left Elliot's cell and went straight to the aforementioned Deputy. The two JW Ministers were asked to write statements disclosing what Elliott had said to them.

The appellate court opinion states: "On the issue of confidentiality, Westbrook explained that Jehovah's Witnesses believed that if they had knowledge of a crime and did not disclose it, they would be 'a sharer in that.'"

Prior to trial, Elliott's counsel filed a motion to suppress Elliot's statements to the two Jehovah's Witnesses Ministers based on the clergy communications privilege. After holding a hearing, the trial court denied the motion to suppress, concluding that appellant's statements to the Jehovah's Witnesses "Elders" were not subject to the clergy communications privilege because (1) Elliott's conduct demonstrated that he was not seeking spiritual counsel from the two Elders, but was merely trying to get someone to listen to his side, and (2) the two Elders did not qualify as members of the clergy.

On appeal, Florida's Court of Appeal upheld the trial court's admitting of Elliot's statements to the two Jehovah's Witnesses Ministers:

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"CLERGY CONFIDENTIALITY"

WITHIN THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETY and CONGREGATIONS OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

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For decades, the WatchTower Society has professed that it requires its Jehovah's Witness Elders to maintain strict "clergy confidentiality" -- without using that "worldly" terminology. In reality, about the only time that a JW member can be certain that their JW Elders will maintain strict confidentiality is when a Public Prosecutor requests tha JW Elders assist with the prosecution of a Jehovah's Witness who has been charged with a crime -- particularly child molesters. Posted below are merely a sampling of certain prosecutions during which the Prosecutor had to get the court to order the defendant's local JW Elders to cooperate in the prosecution of a local Jehovah's Witness.

Otherwise, "confidentiality" within many congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses is a joke. In many congregations, family members and close friends of congregation Elders and Ministerial Servants generally know most details about internal congregation business and congregation members' personal problems. Back in the 1990s, when this Editor was an active JW, I once approached a Newly Baptized Publisher after the Sunday meeting merely to see "how things were going". NBP was NOT in a very good mood. The adult male NBP related that he had come out for field service on the previous Saturday morning, and that he had been invited to accompany a van load of Elders and Ministerial Servants. NBP related that the van load of Elders and Ministerial Servants had spent most of their morning GOSSIPING about various congregation members -- including spending much time discussing the personal shortcomings of one older male in the congregation whom the Elders and Ministerial Servants "talked about like a dog". NBP wondered out loud how long it would be before these same local Elders and Ministerial Servants would start talking about him behind his back in front of just anyone. It was obvious from NBP's further remarks and demeanor that he was second guessing his very decision to become a Jehovah's Witness. NBP eventually disassociated himself.

An Informant, whom had previously authored on the topic of "clergy confidentiality", relates that, in 2001 during a conversation that he was having with Daniel Hosier, who is a multi-decades long Jehovah's Witness Elder in congregations in both New York state and Kentucky, Hosier volunteered to Informant that, "HE TOLD HIS WIFE EVERYTHING -- NOT JUST "SOME" THINGs -- EVERYTHING." "Everything" included all congregation business, everything he was told by other JWs, and even what occurred and was said during internal Judicial Committee Hearings and the conducting of other congregation business. Informant relates that he was SHOCKED at the simple stupidity of such, and that he immediately objected to Dan Hosier's "personal policy" not to keep "confidential information" secret from his JW Wife, including pointing out to this multi-decades long "ELDER" that his personal policy VIOLATED the WatchTower Society's teachings. Even that last reason could not budge Daniel Hosier from his entrenched position. Daniel Hosier further stated that he had always informed his fellow JW Elders and the WatchTower Society's Circuit Overseers (District Sales Managers) of this practice, and that he believed that the Bible taught that husbands were not permitted to keep any secrets from their wives, since they had become "one" at the time they were married. Informant recalls that Hosier related other "scriptural" reasoning that he has now long forgotten which supposedly overruled the WatchTower Society's own teachings and justified Hosier's position. Hosier claimed that both his fellow JW Elders and the WatchTower Society's Circuit Overseer's were and had been "OK" with his "personal decisions" to both disagree with and violate WatchTower Society teachings. (Informant relates that he eventually learned about one alleged incident that Hosier likely had kept secret from his wife -- at least until such alleged incident was disclosed to Hosier's fellow Elders.)

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MISSOURI v. ROBERT J. EISENHOUER ET AL was a 2001 Missouri Supreme Court decision. This case demonstates how cooperative are Jehovah's Witness Elders and the WatchTower Society when it comes to criminal prosecutions of accused child molesters who are members of their OWN Congregations. Missouri officials had accused a Jehovah's Witness, named Robert Eisenhouer, of Cabool, Missouri, of sexually abusing his two stepdaughters -- ages three and four. Eisenhouer had been charged with two counts of statutory rape in the first degree, and two counts of statutory sodomy in the first degree. From their investigation, Missouri officials believed that Eisenhouer had admitted such to Richard Bloom and Charles Graham, who were elders in the Cabool, Missouri Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.

The two JW Elders apparently refused to disclose such information, so the state issued investigative subpoenas ordering Bloom and Graham to appear at the Texas County prosecuting attorney's office and "to bring the following: any and all relevant materials, including personal knowledge, regarding State v. Eisenhower".

In response, Bloom and Graham filed a motion to quash the subpoenas. (Bloom and Graham would have been following directions from WatchTower Headquarters.) In their motion to quash, the Jehovah's Witnesses argued that the subpoenas required them to disclose a "privileged communication" made to them in their capacity as ministers providing spiritual advice and counseling. They argued that compelling them to disclose this information violated their right to "free exercise of religion".

In response, the state argued that the Missouri law which deals with child sex abuse negated the "minister-communicant privilege" in cases of known or suspected child abuse or neglect. Together, Robert Eisenhouer, Richard Bloom, and Charles Graham, argued that the Missouri child abuse law was unconstitutional, because it violated the Jehovah's Witnesses right to "free exercise of religion".

The trial court ruled in the three JWs favor, and quashed the subpoenas. The state appealed. The Supreme Court of Missouri declined to rule on the constitutionality of the Missouri law, but affirmed the quashing of the subpoenas on the grounds that the pertinent statute permitted the subpoenas to be used to obtain only "books, papers, records, or other material."

Interestingly, the criminal prosecution has been repeatedly "continued" up until 2012. Current status unknown. Despite public expressions of outrage by the victims' mother, indications are that she and the victims have been less than fully cooperative with this prosecution.

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CALIFORNIA v. ROSALIE TARPENING (1981) and CALIFORNIA v. ROSALIE TARPENING (1989) were two unrelated California criminal prosecutions of another Jehovah's Witness unlicensed LAY MIDWIFE (See CALIFORNIA v. DOLORES DOYLE). Rosalie Tarpening was the wife of a Chiropractor named Donald A. Tarpening, of Madera, California. Using the couple's combination home-offices, and using the couple's prominence amongst thousands of mentally ill California Jehovah's Witnesses -- females, particularly -- Rosalie Tarpening developed a large clientele of both JWs and Non-JWs over the decades. Using a Physical Therapist license as her excuse to "treat" patients, Rosalie Tarpening practiced "healing" far beyond her training and experience as a health care professional. Tarpening eventually practiced without licenses -- medicine, homeopathy, midwifery, reflexology, iridology, and colonics.

In 1979-81, Rosalie Tarpening was prosecuted for MURDER as a result of the death of a baby that she delivered negligently at her home-office. (JW status of illegal Mexican parents unknown.) The murder charges were dismissed during prelims by an incompetent judge after an elderly (DOB:1901), retired-in-1960s, defense expert witness, named Edith Potter, placed 100% of the blame for the newborn's death on the ER doctors whom had the believed-stillborn "corpse" dumped in their laps. Potter placed zero blame on Tarpening. Tarpening was only convicted of practicing medicine without a license. Tarpening was given a one-year suspended jail sentence and placed on two years probation. The trial court also ordered Tarpening to stop providing pregnancy care and delivering babies for two years. Thereafter, the state medical board ordered Tarpening to STOP performing "midwifery" permanently.

During that first prosecution, "THE ROSALIE TARPENING DEFENSE COMMITTEE", was formed by unknown persons, but was chaired by JW Elder, David Peterson, of the Monterey, California Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. For readers who understand the inner workings of the WatchTower Cult, this is the most informative paragraph in this case summary.

In 1987, Phillip and Susan Coscia, age 37, (Jehovah's Witnesses) were expecting their third child. In 1976, the Coscias also had hired Tarpening to "attend" the delivery of their second child. This time, in January 1988, Susan Coscia was in labor for 50 hours before finally delivering the baby stillborn at a local hospital. Rosalie Tarpening was prosecuted for MURDER a second time. This time, the JW Patients promoted Tarpening's prosecution. The Coscias swore that they had repeatedly asked Tarpening to allow them to go to the hospital, but that Tarpening repeatedly assured them that everything was going okay, and that there was no need to go to the hospital.

JW MINISTER TARPENING swore that she was not present during the first 48 hours of labor at the Coscias' home for the purpose of delivering their baby. (That is why she HID her automobile.) "I was doing her a FAVOR by being there. I wasn't there to deliver the baby. ... I was helping her husband deliver the baby. I didn't kill it. It was born dead at the hospital." Tarpening claimed that it was she who repeatedly urged the Coscias to go to the hospital, and they refused. Tarpening further proclaimed that she was being PERSECUTED(Edith Potter testified that the baby had been dead even before Coscia went into labor -- in contradiction of all three parties present during labor, whom all testified that the baby had been kicking and moving throughout the first 24-30 hours of labor.)

Rosalie Tarpening, by then age 62, was convicted of second-degree MURDER. This was the first time that a midwife, or any health care professional for that matter, had been convicted in California of MURDERING a newborn during its delivery. Tarpening also was convicted of the unlawful practice of medicine, reflexology, homeopathy, and iridology. UNBELIEVABLY, the judge sentenced Rosalie Tarpening to 5 years PROBATION. All convictions were affirmed by the Court of Appeal of California. California's medical board finally permanently revoked Rosalie Tarpening's Physical Therapist license in 1991.

AMUSINGLY, the appellate attorney for JW MINISTER TARPENING also presented the argument that the DEAD baby was not a person under pertinent parts of California's criminal law, but rather was nothing but an unprotected "fetus". Notably, during both murder prosecutions, there was testimony about Tarpening instructing the parents and attending friends and relatives to LIE about Tarpening's activities during a delivery if anyone ever inquired -- apparently SOP for every delivery.

INTERESTINGLY, after the death of the Coscia's baby, but prior to the start of the criminal trial, the Coscias charged Tarpening with violations of the Bible with the Body of Elders at the Madera Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. Three JW Elders investigated the allegations. Rosalie Tarpening was NOT disfellowshipped -- apparently due to perceived discrepancies in what the three JW Elders were told by the Tarpenings and the Coscias. Tarpening's trial attorney asked the three elders to testify during the trial, but the three JW Elders claimed"clergy privilege" -- undoubtedly after consulting WatchTower Legal. However, after Tarpening was convicted of murder, Tarpening's appellate attorney asked those three JW Elders to contact WatchTower Legal about reconsidering their earlier decision. WatchTower Legal advised the three JW Elders that, given the circumstances, "it was their decision", if during the appeals process, they wanted to breach the confidentiality they held with the Coscias and Tarpening by testifying to what they had been told by the various parties. (Notably, the trained and experienced appellate Justices were nowhere as near exercised over the alleged discrepancies in the Coscias' testimonies as were the three "Jehovah's Janitors". "Jehovah's Janitors" apparently used such to avoid, or at least delay, penalizing the prominent Rosalie Tarpening, while the Justices believed the perceived discrepancies to be so inconsequential as not warranting a reversal of a MURDER conviction.)

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R. v. P. is another overlooked 2000 court case from the Newfoundland Supreme Court which aptly demonstrates exactly how cooperative (or uncooperative) were the Jehovah's Witnesses in exposing the Cult's problem with child molesters before the breaking of the flood of American child molestation court cases a year or so later.

In Fall 2000, a Jehovah's Witness ELDER from the Aspen Cove, Newfoundland Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses was served a subpoena requiring him to appear in criminal court to give evidence against a recently disfellowshipped member of the Aspen Cove congregation regarding allegations of "indecent assault" against two onetime minor females who were or were once members of the Aspen Cove congregation. Instead of welcoming the opportunity to assist in the criminal prosecution of this individual whom the Body of Elders felt was sufficiently guilty to be deemed worthy of being disfellowshipped, the JW ELDER(undoubtedly following orders from the legal department at WatchTower HQ) sought that this subpoena be quashed in its entirety, or be limited in its scope. The grounds? Clergy-penitent privilege.

"[JW ELDER] submits that any evidence that he could give in this matter would fall within the ambit of privileged religious communications and he should be protected from having to disclose these communications."

Here is the Newfoundland Supreme Court's "Application to Facts of This Case": [edited for clarity]

Initially it is important to address and resolve two issues: (1) Were the communications which passed between the two complainants, the Accused[, and] the Applicant of a religious or spiritual nature? (2) Did one or more of the communicators or "confiders" have a reasonable expectation or confidence that their communications would not be disclosed?

On the first issue we have, of course, only the evidence of the Applicant as to the nature of the discussions between the two complainants, the Accused, and him. We know that [original complainant's] husband called the Applicant on December 13, 1998. We presume he called the Applicant recognizing his position as an Elder and overseer in the congregation. This was not directly addressed in the evidence, but I am prepared to make that assumption. At that initial meeting there was an allegation made that someone had assaulted her. The Applicant asserts that the communication was made in "confidence" to us. All three of them then prayed and read the bible. (Edit: Two Elders and original complainant. It is assumed that complainant's husband was also present.) There was no other evidence of what transpired at that initial meeting.All we know of the communications between [original complainant] and the two Elders is that she told them that someone had assaulted her. There is no suggestion that she was, in her view, blameworthy of any immoral or improper conduct. One is then forced to ask oneself why would she need religious comfort or assurances. She had nothing to be ashamed of. Granted, she may have need emotional support and it is possible that she needed spiritual comfort. However, the evidence shows that she had already discussed "the allegations with at least one other individual". The Applicant said he was not the first to know. The evidence did not disclose the identity of that other person, but I think it is safe to assume that it was not an Elder of the church.

The Applicant and at least one other met with the other complainant [original complainant's sister] and the Accused prior to the meeting of the judicial committee. It appears that these meetings were initiated by either the Applicant or other Elders. There is no evidence that any of these communications were of a spiritual or religious nature. The other complainant [original complainant's sister] is not a baptized adherent of this church. It is difficult to understand why she would engage in conversations of a religious nature, especially where she did not originate the contact.

I have similar difficulties about the participation of the Accused in any of these meetings. The Applicant reiterated on a number of occasions that the Accused either said nothing or if he did say anything to them, it did not amount to an admission or confession. My feeling is that the Accused was less than a willing participant in any of these proceedings.

On the second issue of an expectation of confidentiality, I have concluded that this did not exist. To begin with, [original complainant] had obviously discussed matters with someone else. Obviously, her husband also knew of the allegations. In addition, she was apparently a long-time member of the congregation and would no doubt be aware of the process which would be used by the Elders once such an allegation came to light. I cannot see how she could have, under the circumstances, any expectancy of privacy or confidentiality.

Even if she initially might have had some expectation of confidentiality, it is difficult to see how this could have continued beyond the initial contact. From the evidence of the Applicant, it is clear that as many as eight or probably more Elders, some of whom were from outside of the congregation, were aware of the allegations and aware of the parties involved. In my view, even if there had been some initial expectation of confidentiality, that was quickly dispelled once the Applicant and others commenced their investigation and their gathering of evidence.

The same is true for the other complainant [original complainant's sister] and the Accused. It is unrealistic to assume that a non-adherent of the faith would expect confidentiality. Likewise, it is not plausible that the Accused would expect it. Even if there could have been any expectation of confidentiality at the beginning, obviously, this disappeared once the Elders became involved. The Applicant himself confirmed that the ultimate aim of the judicial committee was to "establish guilt". The Elders pursued an active investigation; they interviewed people; they advised people of the charges and the names of those involved; they brought in outside Elders from Botwood and then finally, after all of this had been discussed, an announcement was made that the Accused was "disfellowshipped from the congregation". In my opinion, all of this activity, including the act of pursuit of "evidence", is the exact antithesis of confidentiality.

I am convinced that the touchstone of confidentiality required to bring in to play the four criteria enunciated by Wigmore is not at all present in this case. This is a far cry from the situation referred to in Fosty by Madam Justice L'Heureux-Dube when she talks of disclosure "to a spiritual counselor in total and absolute confidence".

In my view, the Applicant has failed to discharge the onus on him to justify the quashing of the subpoena and he must obey it.

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CROWN v. GORDON LEIGHTON was a highly publicized 2010-13 British criminal court case which is significant for illustrating problem issues in THREE areas of the Jehovah's Witness religion -- "Confidentiality", "Child Molestation", and deaths of "JW Parents with Parental Obligations" due to rejecting blood transfusions. Gordon Leighton, now age 53, is one of only a few non-celebrity Jehovah's Witnesses who have twice been the subject of the international news, decades apart, for different reasons.

In February 1993, Gordon Leighton and his 28 year-old wife, Yvonne Leighton, of Washington, Tyne and Wear, made international headlines only 10 days after Yvonne Leighton gave birth to the couple's second child. Gordon Leighton and Yvonne Leighton had decided that Yvonne Leighton would allow herself to die rather than accept a life-saving blood transfusion. It would be left to Gordon Leighton to rear not only their newborn son, but also the couple's SIX YEAR YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, Rachel Leighton.

After having birthed her son, Yvonne Leighton needed a routine dilation and curettage of her uterus (D&C) performed, which sometimes requires the administration of a blood transfusion due to blood loss. The possibility of excessive blood loss was fully explained to the Leightons over three separate occasions, and the Leightons consciously chose to submit legal documents which forbid the doctors to administer any blood transfusions, even if such were necessary to save Yvonne's life. The headquarters of the WatchTower Society in England was contacted, and one of their Attorneys was even dispatched to Sunderland General Hospital to ensure that no blood transfusions were administered to Yvonne Leighton.

Yvonne Leighton, who was conscious most of the time, died "over a protracted period of several hours" surrounded by her Jehovah's Witness husband, relatives, and friends. Yvonne's doctors administered what "blood alternatives" were permitted by the WatchTower Society, but nothing could save Leighton but a transfusion of whole blood. Hospital staff were forced to stand by helplessly, all the while fully knowing that they could easily save Yvonne's life, and forestall the resulting consequences to her two surviving children and husband. The media reported that, "The medical team were distraught. The anesthetist was continually trying to get her to change her mind."

Nearly 17 years later, in December 2009, an "unidentified female" -- presumably Rachel Leighton -- went to the Body of Elders at the Lambton Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, in Washington, and disclosed that she had been sexually molested by Gordon Leighton when she was a child.

Rather than immediately notifying the police or other legal authorities, the Body of Elders notified the LEGAL DEPARTMENT at England's WatchTower Society Headquarters -- which is what JW Elders are trained and required to do by the WatchTower Society. The WatchTower Society's Legal Department did NOT instruct the Body of Elders to notify the police, but instead, instructed the BOE to form a "judicial committee" consisting of three Elders, and to conduct an "investigation". That "judicial committee" consisted of local Elders David Scott and Henry Logan, and Simon Preyser, an Elder from a nearby Sunderland congregation.

After the judicial committee's "investigation", a "judicial committee meeting" was conducted in April 2010, during which, Gordon Leighton was presented with the findings of that investigation, and asked to respond. Gordon Leighton reportedly initially denied the child molestation accusation, but eventually "confessed" that he possibly may have done some things whenever he had had too much to drink.

The local Body of Elders, who would have been in constant contact with the WatchTower Society's Legal Department, later publicly admitted that notifying the police was not even considered as an option at that point in time. Gordon Leighton was not even disfellowshipped (excommunicated). Rather, due to Leighton's supposed "repentant" attitude and behavior, his position as a "Ministerial Servant" (deacon) in the congregation was removed, and he was officially "reproved", but without the reason being disclosed to the members of the congregation.

It is "supposed" that it was shortly thereafter that Gordon Leighton reportedly assaulted and possibly battered an "unidentified person", and that it was only then, when involvement of the police was inevitable, that Leighton was quickly disfellowshipped from the congregation. It is also "supposed" that it was this assault/battery which finally motivated the "victim" to notify the authorities, not only about that assault/battery, but also about their having been sexually molested as a child by Leighton.

During the following official police investigation, Gordon Leighton denied the child molestation accusations. When police thereafter repeatedly approached the three aforementioned JW Elders for their assistance with their investigation, all three JW Elders -- acting on instructions from the WatchTower Society's Legal Department -- claimed "clergy privilege", and refused to disclose any information due to "confidentiality".

Gordon Leighton was eventually formally charged with two counts of indecency with a child and seven counts of indecent assault. Once again, the three JW Elders were asked to cooperate in Leighton's prosecution, but they all three refused to cooperate per their instructions from WatchTower HQ.

Judge Penny Moreland issued a witness summons to the three JW Elders. When WatchTower Society Attorney, Richard Daniel, and the three JW Elders legally challenged the witness summons, Judge Moreland refused to withdraw the summonses, and ordered the JW Trio to appear in her court. Judge Moreland stated: "It is apparent that the three elders who were present when this conversation took place are in possession of relevant evidence as to a point which is of real significance in this case. They claim the right of confidentiality. They claim that what they heard said by the defendant during the course of that meeting ought to be subject to privilege, as ministers of religion. Public interest is clearly in favour of this evidence being given. What was said by the defendant on that occasion is of great significance in the trial."

Despite Judge Moreland's ruling, the JW Elders still refused to make any statements to the police until just hours before they were called to testify, which they finally did. At trial, in July 2013, Gordon Leighton once again denied accusations that he had sexually molested his daughter, Rachel, and denied that he had confessed to such during the "judicial committee meeting". A jury listened to the evidence for six days, including Leighton's repeated denials. Gordon Leighton was found guilty on two counts of indecency with a child, and six counts of indecent assault. Leighton was also found guilty on the more recent assault charge. Leighton was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

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