According to Jehovah’s Witnesses expert and founder of Cult Education Institute Rick Alan Ross, the email showed that the organization was responding defensively to whistleblowers and critical media coverage of their handling of alleged child sexual abuse.

“This is really something that is not shocking to me because I’ve watched the organization for decades and dealt with them in court,” Alan Ross said. “They basically go after these whistleblowers and can disfellowship them, shun them and punish them for speaking out... Jehovah’s Witnesses should be listening to them in an effort to try to correct what’s wrong and deal with the situation of child sexual abuse within the organization.”