Posts by West70

25

WBTS Loses Recent 2005 Federal District Court Case In Puerto Rico

by West70 in

jw
friends

has this 2005 federal court decision been previously posted?

jehovah's witnesses lose facial challenge to puerto rico controlled access law .

in an opinion that has recently become available, the federal district court in puerto rico last month rejected a facial constitutional attack by jehovah's witnesses to the commonwealth's controlled access law.

West70

.

11

JW GrandMother Files Federal Lawsuit Against School

by West70 in

jw
friends

a jw grandmother has filed a lawsuit against a california school claiming that her grandson was forced to recite the pledge of allegiance and forced to articipate in holiday activities.

interestingly, this jw also complains that she personally was prohibited from "witnessing" to other schoolchildren from the watchtower society's "book of bible stories": .

woman claims grandson faced discrimination.

West70

A JW GrandMother has filed a lawsuit against a California School claiming that her grandson was forced to recite the Pledge Of Allegiance and forced to articipate in Holiday activities.

Interestingly, this JW also complains that she personally was prohibited from "witnessing" to other schoolchildren from the WatchTower Society's "Book of Bible Stories":

Woman claims grandson faced discrimination
By SUSAN HERENDEENBEE STAFF WRITER
A South San Francisco woman with no legal training is taking on Modesto City Schools in federal court and she is making some headway with a discrimination complaint.
Eon Walden, who is black and an ordained Jehovah's Witness minister, contends that she and her grandson were subjected to racial and religious discrimination at Sonoma Elementary School.
One of her chief complaints involves a Thanksgiving activity. Another involves the daily pledge of allegiance, a practice to which members of Walden's faith object.
Attorney Michael Woods of Fresno, who represents the district, said Walden does not have facts to back up her claims. "This case is absolutely without merit," he said.
Walden, who is raising her grandson and representing herself in court, did not return calls seeking comment.
In her lawsuit, Walden said she had to move to a more racially tolerant environment to provide her grandson, a special education student, with an appropriate education.
She is seeking an unspecified amount of money to punish the district and compensate her for emotional distress.
U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Coyle said on Sept. 6 that Walden can proceed on four of her 13 claims.
In a written order, the judge said Walden must articulate some of her arguments more clearly by Oct. 24. He noted that people who represent themselves are given more leeway than attorneys.
The judge said Walden lacked proof to go forward with a racial profiling claim. And he rejected other allegations slander, defamation and negligence because they were not filed on time.
In California, people have six months to file claims against a government agency. If the agency rejects the claim, they have six months to file a lawsuit.
Walden filed her lawsuit in December, nine months after the district rejected her claim.
The judge said claims based on federal law may go forward.
In her lawsuit, Walden said she asked a fourth-grade teacher to exempt her grandson from nationalistic and holiday activities, because she objects to them on religious grounds.
She said the child was nevertheless required to color a Thanksgiving turkey and instructed to deliver the picture to the principal, but not tell his grandmother about the activity.
She also contends that the child was forced to recite the pledge of allegiance, over her objections.
Walden claims that the district violated her grandson's First Amendment right to religious freedom.
In his ruling, the judge said there may be some question over the Thanksgiving picture, but that schools cannot require students to participate in the pledge.
Other claims by Walden involve two incidents on the east Modesto school playground, according to court papers.
On March 19, 2002, Walden's grandson was sent home with a discipline slip for pushing. He also got a warning that he would be suspended for five days if he were caught fighting again.
Walden contends that a white student who was mutually responsible for the fight was not punished.
Also according to Walden, on Sept. 25, 2003, an adult yard aide grabbed her grandson by the ear and called him "black boy" as she dragged him across the yard, with other children watching.
Walden contends that the principal informed her that her grandson had been playing with his milk, but said nothing about the yard aide.
The district argued that Walden's claims were too vague to merit a response, but the judge said the allegations were sufficient for litigation to proceed.
The judge rejected Walden's other major claim that the district infringed upon her ability to practice her religion by limiting her access to school grounds. A principal temporarily revoked Walden's visitation privileges after a Nov. 19, 2003, incident, but reinstated them later, with a warning that Walden could not talk to students when she was on campus.
In court papers, Walden argued that she was penalized because she responded when a child asked her to explain an illustration in a book of Bible stories during a lunchtime visit.
She said she was singled out because she is black and practices a nonmainstream religion.
The judge said school officials had a right to regulate Walden's activities on campus.
Bee staff writer Susan Herendeen can be reached at 578-2338 or [email protected].
Posted on 10/11/05 00:00:00
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/11334951p-12082958c.

23

To: Barbara Anderson -- Re: Your First Contact w/ Child Molestation Issue

by West70 in

mrs. anderson: .

thank you for replying to my topic on william h. conley, the watch tower society's first president.

if not for your finding the "treasure" you described, we might not know this fact even today.

West70

Hi Mrs. Anderson:

Thank you again for continuing to reply.

I provided so much detail above that I'm not sure it is clear why I thought that this Vernon Case might have gotten more than routine attention in Brooklyn. Such is due to the letter which the Prosecutor wrote to Brooklyn after the trial.

My recollection of his comments to me is that he was extremely upset over the organized behavior of the London, Kentucky JWs during the trial. My recollection is that he went to trial thinking he had a slam-dunk molestation case against Vernon, but that the testimony and courtroom behavior of the local JWs convinced the trier-of-fact (can't remember if judge or jury) to basically grant a compromise conviction, which in no way penalized Vernon what he deserved.

On one hand, I wondered if this letter might have woke up some folks back in 1993. I also wonder if such prosecuted Cases were such a rarity at that time so as to wake up some people? In other words, are you aware of any/many JWs who were being prosecuted for child molestation in the 1980s or early 90s?

PS: My best guess is that this trial occurred in the summer of 1993. A case like this takes time to go to trial. It could have easily been mid or even early 1992 when Vernon was initially charged. The initial report to school authorities, and possible CPS investigation could possibly have been as far back as sometime in 1991. It is conceivable that Legal was working on this when you were asked to do your work???

Thanks.

87

To: Barbara Anderson -- Re: First WatchTower President

by West70 in

i am primarily posting this to barbara anderson, but obviously everyone is welcome to correct or comment on my remarks as they see fit.

mrs. anderson, i realize that trying to cover all bases in your pending russell bio would be impossible, but i do hope that you will be able to include a section on the first president of the watch tower society, william h. conley.

i hope that you have had a chance to research conley with some degree of thoroughness, so as to dispel some of the half-truths that some bible students and jws try to promote (such as that conley's age and health caused his inactivity with russell after 1881).

West70

Hi Mrs. Anderson:

Thanks for your comments. I do note your indication that you do not want to comment further with regard to some info about Russell's 1890s business dealings.

However, please allow me to clarify my own remarks regarding such. You are correct that my own research has always been hampered by lack of access to necessary materials. You indicate that you have more than one line of evidence that makes you think that Russell was more accepted in the 1890s Pittsbugh business community than what I myself suspect. Given my longtime error on Rose Ball's age, I am in poor position to give much of a counter-argument.

However, we may not disagree as much as it appears. My previous comments were intended to relate my belief that Russell was not looked on with any great degree of respect by the Pittsburgh area "major financeers"; not that Russell did not have his own small circle of "small timers". I am vaguely familiar with the 1890s "Investment Company" (can't recall its name right now) which Russell and some of his sychophants used to invest in real estate, etc.

However, the aforementioned alleged "bank investment opportunity" of which he bragged to Maria supposedly had a large capitalization of $3,000,000. For Russell to allege that he had been requested to lend his name to the sell of stock as the potential Bank President just seems unreal. Any new Bank that large would involve investers who could cough up Russell's net worth as a single investment. This was the circle in which Thomas Riter operated. I'm not sure Conley could play ball with these boys, much less Russell.

Then again, I may be wrong. This is one of the sub-topics of "Russell History" that I have not yet pursued with any diligence. I have always wondered about what Joseph was doing in Florida and elsewhere after the clothing business was sold; as well as how "J.L. Russell" made as much money as it did in an already competitive market of the 1860s and 70s? I wonder whether Joseph capitalized in any way off the Civil War? Where did the 5000 acres in KY come from?

A few years back, I stumbled across the name of a low level ACC evangelist who I had not heard of before. I googled his name to see what I could find, and I learned that in addition to traveling as an ACC evangelist, he also dabbled in land speculation. At that time (I have not been able to relocate it using the key terms I will use hereafter), I found a webpage which contained a letter he had wrote to someone in an attempt to try to get them to purchase a tract of land in a part of the country which was experiencing a major coal deposit discovery. My impression was that the potential customer was also an ACC. I don't recall his exact verbiage (or I could likely relocate the webpage), but in trying to convince the potential customer to buy this particular tract he related that it was located adjacent to either "the Russell tract" or "the Russell's tract". No first or other name(s) were mentioned. It was as if the potential customer (who I beleive was also ACC) would automatically recognize the reference. Could "Russell" or "Russell's" refer to someone or something other than Joe or Chuck. Absolutely! But, maybe not. Who knows? There were lots of investment opportunities in general during this time period.

23

To: Barbara Anderson -- Re: Your First Contact w/ Child Molestation Issue

by West70 in

mrs. anderson: .

thank you for replying to my topic on william h. conley, the watch tower society's first president.

if not for your finding the "treasure" you described, we might not know this fact even today.

West70

.

87

To: Barbara Anderson -- Re: First WatchTower President

by West70 in

i am primarily posting this to barbara anderson, but obviously everyone is welcome to correct or comment on my remarks as they see fit.

mrs. anderson, i realize that trying to cover all bases in your pending russell bio would be impossible, but i do hope that you will be able to include a section on the first president of the watch tower society, william h. conley.

i hope that you have had a chance to research conley with some degree of thoroughness, so as to dispel some of the half-truths that some bible students and jws try to promote (such as that conley's age and health caused his inactivity with russell after 1881).

West70

Thomas B. Riter, who was Conley's partner, and the "Riter" in the "Riter & Conley" partnership was definitely a Mason. It is in his Bio and in the area Masonic listing.

Thomas's brother, James M., who founded the "business operations" was not a Mason as far as I can tell. His "firm" ceased to exist on his death. Thus, James is NOT the "Riter" in the partnership of the "Riter & Conley".

There is no indication that Conley was a Mason, so I mentioned the point simply to cover as many bases as possible.

There is also no indication that Thomas Riter ever had any dealings with Russell, although there is a small hint of a possibility. In the Divorce trial transcript, it mentions a letter Russell wrote to Maria in which he says that he had twice been offered investment opportunities with newly formed Banks, including being offered the title of "President" of one of those. Someone could check the date of that letter to see what Banks had been formed prior to such and within a reasonable time frame. Thomas was named President of Ohio Valley Bank of Allegheny when it was formed in 1890/1. I also believe there was a second Bank formed in Allegheny around the same time.

Maybe Russell was popular among and was friends with Allegheny businessmen in the early 1890s, BUT I DOUBT IT. This statement to Maria smells of bravado, and as far as I am concerned simply is more evidence of Russell's egotism.

By the early 1890s, evidently not even Conley had much if anything to do with Russell. My guess is that Russell's name on an investment scheme would kill it rather than make people want to buy shares. What probably happened was that whomever was selling shares in the new banks was simply trying to sell Russell shares just as he would other local businessmen. He may have even "stroked" Russell's ego with something about if Russell bought alot of shares it would help sell more, etc., etc. He probably gave the same "pitch" to every person he approached.

23

To: Barbara Anderson -- Re: Your First Contact w/ Child Molestation Issue

by West70 in

mrs. anderson: .

thank you for replying to my topic on william h. conley, the watch tower society's first president.

if not for your finding the "treasure" you described, we might not know this fact even today.

West70

I forgot a point:

When time came around for Vernon to get out of jail, the Mother (who was being shunned for her participation in the trial) approached the BOE about the fact that Vernon would soon be attending meetings, etc., and she raised the issue that her three children would be forced to be around him at the KW, as well as during other JW activities. She either hinted or outright suggested that Vernon should move to another Congregation.

I seem to recall that Vernon was from a different part of southeastern Kentucky, and he had family scattered in other counties.

It is also my understanding that the JW Mother is either originally from the London area, or at least had much longer ties there than did Vernon. At any rate, this single Mother had an established career in the local school system, and she just could not simply sell her home and pick up and move her three children to some locale where she had no nonJW family or friends.

Again, the BOE warned her that as far as they were concerned Vernon was an innocent man, and that he had been wrongly "per(pros)secuted". If she and her kids did not treat him as a "brother in the truth", they would be DF'ed.

And, despite the fact that Vernon had few if any permanent ties to the area, no career, and I think maybe only a rental mobile home or an old one on a rental lot, that if anyone needed to move, it was HER!!!

87

To: Barbara Anderson -- Re: First WatchTower President

by West70 in

i am primarily posting this to barbara anderson, but obviously everyone is welcome to correct or comment on my remarks as they see fit.

mrs. anderson, i realize that trying to cover all bases in your pending russell bio would be impossible, but i do hope that you will be able to include a section on the first president of the watch tower society, william h. conley.

i hope that you have had a chance to research conley with some degree of thoroughness, so as to dispel some of the half-truths that some bible students and jws try to promote (such as that conley's age and health caused his inactivity with russell after 1881).

West70

To: Eduardo Leaton Jr., Esq.

The fact that Charles Taze Russell put up only 10% of the initial capital of the Watch Tower Society is NOT trivial.

The fact that Joseph Russell put up only 20% of the initial capital of the Watch Tower Society is NOT trivial.

The fact that William H.Conley put up 70% of the initial capital of the Watch Tower Society is NOT trivial.

The fact that the Allegheny "class" held their meetings at Conley's home is NOT trivial.

The fact that when in the mid 1880s the Allegheny "class" moved their meetings from Conley's home to a Bank building where Conley was a Bank Director (and at one time listed as the Bank's President) is NOT trivial.

The fact that William Conley, or more specifically his home, was mentioned in the ZWT Magazine twice around 1880/1, and then not until 1894, does not make his Presidency a well known fact to JWs in 1905, much less 2005. Where in any of those three instances is it mentioned that he was the FIRST PRESIDENT?

Mrs. Anderson makes it clear that her early 1990s' discovery was NEWS to Brooklyn. If not for her discovery, YOU would have no clue about this issue.

25

WBTS Loses Recent 2005 Federal District Court Case In Puerto Rico

by West70 in

jw
friends

has this 2005 federal court decision been previously posted?

jehovah's witnesses lose facial challenge to puerto rico controlled access law .

in an opinion that has recently become available, the federal district court in puerto rico last month rejected a facial constitutional attack by jehovah's witnesses to the commonwealth's controlled access law.

West70

Sorry to those folks expecting more info. I'm bumping this up so that as many XJWs as possible will see this. This is an ongoing issue from at least 2003 (possibly even before), and apparently noone spotted or reported it until now. This issue will be ongoing for some years to come, especially if the "facial" contests all fail, and WBTS is forced to fight all these singlely.

23

To: Barbara Anderson -- Re: Your First Contact w/ Child Molestation Issue

by West70 in

mrs. anderson: .

thank you for replying to my topic on william h. conley, the watch tower society's first president.

if not for your finding the "treasure" you described, we might not know this fact even today.

West70

Mrs. Anderson:

Thank you for replying to my Topic on William H. Conley, the Watch Tower Society's FIRST PRESIDENT. If not for your finding the "treasure" you described, we might not know this fact even today. And, contrary to what a later poster tries to say, Conley's influence during the founding of the WTS is not mere "trivia".

BUT, now to my reason for starting this separate Topic. You ended the aforementioned post stating that about a year after your "discovery" you became acquainted with the "child molestation" issue. This post is also prompted by your remarks as to how you were given free reign to perform research, but I take it from your remarks that you may or may not of always known everything the assigners knew when giving you your assignments.

THUS, you may or may not know about the 1993 JW Child Molestation Court Case I will relate, but I can't help but wonder if this 1992/3 Case was what prompted your initial assignment on the Molestation issue.

In 1993 (it might have been 1992), there was a prosecution in London, Kentucky of a JW named "George Vernon"* (now deceased), who was convicted of molesting one or more of the three children of a JW single mother. I believe that the prosecution was only partially successful; with Vernon receiving a sentence of only one year in county jail, including time served.

[*I believe that "George Vernon" is the correct name. I have always been terrible with names, even back then, and I sometimes confused "George Vernon" with "George Cox", since there were multiple families of both Vernons and Coxs scattered in several of the southeastern Kentucky congregations. This also causes me some doubt as to whether he was an Elder or MS. I have vague memories of his being a MS, but I won't rule out Elder.]

My recollection is that the single JW Mother was an elementary school teacher, (of all things), and that she had three children (possibly 2 boys and a daughter). At some point in the late 1980s, one or more of the children reported that Vernon (who had volunteered to act as a father figure to the kids) was "touching" them. The Mother dutifully reported this to the BOE, who questioned Vernon, who denied the allegations. Since it was the children's word against Vernon's (again: strong family ties throughout the circuit), the BOE took no action against Vernon. The Mother firmly believed Vernon was guilty, and raised the possibility of involving the authorities. The BOE, probably after consultation with the CO and/or Brooklyn, specifically warned the Mother that if she went to the police that she would be DF'ed for spreading a lie against a fellow JW.

As typical, word about this family's LIES about a faithful brother in the congregation soon leaked from the BOE of this small congregation, and the Mother and children were "marked" as people not to be associated with. Amazingly, the Mother took everything they threw at her, and still obeyed orders not to go to the police.

However, around 1991/2, one of the older kids (possibly the girl) finally told someone at her school about the molestation. The school did the proper thing and reported it.

The molestation was investigated, and eventually prosecuted in 1993(?). During it all, it is my understanding is that the Mother and the kids were "shunned" right in the KH. When it finally went to trial, the whole congregation turned out in suport of Vernon, and just like occurred in later trials, all the JWs sat behind Vernon and his lawyer, leaving a noticable amount of empty seating behind the Prosecutor. Some of JWs also offered testimony in Vernon's behalf. I don't recall the specifics, but Vernon got off lightly; again, only a year in county jail.

The Prosecutor was displeased with the outcome, and he blamed the strong support of the Congregation during the trial. He was so mad at the conduct of the local JWs that he sat down and wrote what he described as a lengthy letter of protest to Brooklyn HQ.

Barbara, I can't help but wonder if his letter, or possibly this Kentucky Case itself, was the initating factor of your own entry into this issue?

The JW Mother remained a loyal JW despite all this. By pure coincidence, most if not all of the BOE who had mistreated this family eventually left the JWs, became inactive, etc. As they gradually left, the new Elders and COs, etc. praised the Mother for her loyalty and told her that "see, Jah had corrected the injustice". It has been related that she is now a rock solid JW, who sees herself as a "martyr" for the cause. Unfortunately, her own children has not fared as well. After not only the molestation, but being isolated by their only "friends and family", the kids lives all fell apart. I understand that one or more fell into drug abuse, and is resulting lifestyle, etc. The Mother and elementary school teacher laments that all her children are now "God Haters", but then, she "loves Jah".