When I was studying libel, slander, defamation in my torts class it became very clear that this would not be the way to go if one ever wanted to sue the WTBS for announcements made about disfellowshipping. They never say the reason-which may be false, but the reality-the disfellowshipment-which was true. However, if one dissasociated oneself in one congregation and moved away in hopes of being left alone, started a career as a public school teacher in a town a ways away, and 15 years later the congregation in the new town decided to start telling local members (perhaps even announcing it from the platform to all the congregations in the new town, in front of said teacher's students and their parents) that this person was "disfellowshipped" which does imply there was a fact finding method of determining wrongdoing, then there would be grounds for slander, because "disassociation" in no way "infers" the same moral wrongdoing as "disfellowshipping" and would most definitely damage the professional reputation of this person (to her students, and perhaps, if parents yanked the kids from her class, to her principal and colleagues), creating a slander per se situation. If there is slander per se, damages do not have to proven, they are assumed. (I think this may be about to happen to me, because the elders stopped by a few weeks ago saying they had received a letter that I was living in the area and was disfellowshipped. Would love for them to make that announcement, cuz I'm ready to sue their cologne wearing asses off). When I was studying unenforceability in my contracts class, I learned that minority makes a contract voidable (not void) at the minor's pleasure. The letter at the front of this thread could be very damning to the WBTS since it calls the relationship somewhat of a contractual one, the minor has a way out, and would be better off voiding it than disassociating or getting disfellowshipped. I bet a person baptized as a minor could force the WBTS to remove their name from ALL records as having been "baptized" based on this letter from their legal department admitting to the contractual relationship. No punitive damages or legal fees are awarded in contractual disputes, though. I think there are probably some cases out there for Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, though, particularly in some of the molestation situations in which the victim and family were punished. However, statute of limitations is pretty short for this sort of thing. By the way, the letter was a mini "brief", and since the lawyer would expect another lawyer to fact check on the precedents, it's not likely that the cases have been overruled or are misquoted. He could be disbarred, for malpractice, if they were. Shoshana
