You can tell the elder or elders that if they do anything then you will hold them PERSONALLY liable and that they should carefully remember that the WTS will not defend or represent them in court
If it ever comes to this I am ready and waiting with this one.
I can personally attest that the elders make their own rules and regulations because when I was going through some garbage with the elders in the congo where i used to attend I knew these thing were not right from what I had ever seen or knew from all my years as a JW. I asked why the difference and was told that they could make decisions based on what they felt was best for the congo. I contacted elders in other congos and they agreed that the elders have the right to make decisions for their congo based on what is best for that particular congo. Even though some of them were sympathetic and even horrified by what was being done in my congo none of them would defend me or even what was right and wrong, because there was no right and wrong, no unity, no justice, just a bunch of spineless men in fear of losing their positions. The CO even said that to me when I questioned him about the harshness of the things said to me. He said, "you have to understand that these brothers (elders) are under obligation to give the councel, so they did so out of fear of losing their positions"....He was trying to get me to sympathize with the elders because they had dumped on me because they were in fear of losing their positions. It was a cold slap in the face to wake up to this realization--they cared more about their positions than the well being of those in the congo.