Consider the following points:
1. The WTBTS has had legal difficulty in some countries (e.g. France, Germany) for not paying taxes on some or all of its workers. This has triggered various tax evasion strategies such as moving production to other countries and dismissing full time workers. And since October 2000, the vow of poverty is required.
2. The WTBTS has had legal difficulty in some countries (e.g., Western Europe) for not obeying data privacy laws by illegally retaining records of members and former members. The records in question contain much more than just names and addresses; the extra material includes hours worked, details of confessions, infractions, punishments, etc.
3. The WTBTS keeps records from around the world in its Brooklyn headquarters in the United States. As far as has been reported, these continue to pile up with no mechanism for review or removal. Example: according to accounts by former Bethel residents, all disassociation and disfellowship records are kept, even after the death of the subject.
4. In the United States, the legal discovery process is very broad and can be invoked by any plantiff in a civil lawsuit.
5. Due to the Internet and other sources, many JWs are finally coming to the realization that they’ve wasted years of their lives and just might want to see a little something in return.
6. The telephone directory is just chock full of lawyer advertisements.
In view of the above, it seems to me that the paper shredder machines in Brooklyn have been getting quite a workout. All it would take would be one successful lawsuit for back wages or back pension taxes and the WTBTS would be bleeding cash to pay off thousands or tens of thousands of settlements. They would have to sell off the Patterson complex just to make a start on the payments.
To each JW out there: I suggest that you fire up your word processor, turn on your printer, and write up a letter requesting that the WTBTS and any of its agents and affiliated organizations to immediately release a copy of all records that they might have concerning you. Send it to Brooklyn via certified mail and send a copy to all congregations that you have attended. Don’t let them intimidate you with anything less that a full and honest response. For even better results, hire an attorney to send out the letter with his/her letterhead and signature.
If you should get your records and you see that something is incorrect, such as the amount and positions of service, insist that it be corrected.
If you should get your records and you see that something that they shouldn’t have, insist that it should be deleted.
If the WTBTS is uncooperative, let them know of your determination. If they still resist, call a lawyer, work out some deal with him/her on a contingency basis, and start the civil proceedings. I have no doubt that the WTBTS will settle out of court as the last two things they want to do are to stir up more unfavorable publicity and take the chance that one or more of the higher up officals have to take the stand and undergo cross examination.
