J.W. v. Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.

On 10 December 2018, California's Fourth District Court of Appeal (Case No. E066555) affirmed a trial court judgment of 4,016,152.39 dollars against Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., the governing corporate body of Jehovah's Witnesses, in a civil suit brought on behalf of a woman identified in court papers only as J.W. The suit alleged Watchtower's negligent hiring and retention practices created the risk of molestation that a congregation elder carried out against her during a 2006 pool party at his residence, at the Mountain View Jehovah's Witness congregation. The elder was later convicted in separate criminal proceedings of molesting J.W. and two other children; he is not named here. The judgment itself, 3 million dollars for pain and suffering, 1 million dollars for future medical expenses and 16,152.39 dollars in costs, arose as a terminating sanction after Watchtower refused to comply with discovery orders and produce documents it had received in response to its own 1997 letter to congregations concerning known child molesters. No living individual is named as offender or survivor.