Multiple 1-star reviews from ex-employee and friends

[greg.gbm]

I am managing the Google Business profile for a client and the situation is similar to that of another fellow user (@acharlton).
A dis grunted ex-employee and friends have posted multiple 1-star reviews.
This ex-employee is fully aware of the google community guidelines and has ensured that no inappropriate words of racism, discrimination, conflict of interest, etc are included in these 1-star reviews.
I would go a step further to state that this ex-employee and friends have carefully and deliberately posted multiple 1-star reviews that are devoid of any text.

One such 1-star review has been removed via the google tool that manages google reviews.
However there are still at least 9 1-star reviews that the ex-employee and his friends have posted to the Google Business profile.
I have tried to 'Check the status of a review I’ve already reported and my appeal options' but I'm not sure how to proceed because all the reported reviews are in a state of 'Decision pending' instead of being 'denied'.
I have also waited this out for a full 14 day period so I'm not sure what is the normal waiting period or something has gone wrong.
Thoughts anyone?

 

[Stefan Somborac]

@greg.gbm - If you flagged them, reported them with the review management tool and appealed the decision—and waited 14 days!—you've got one more option: create a post in the community forum. A Product Expert can escalate the case, giving you one more shot at removal.

 

[greg.gbm]

@Stefan Somborac , Thank you for your reply!
With regards to what you wrote;
Yes: I believe I have reported them using the review management tool.
Yes: I definitely have waited a full 14 days (now 15).
No: I have not appealed the decision because I do not see any decision made regarding the reviews that I reported.
I believe I wrote in my post with supporting screenshots that most of the reported reviews are in a state of 'Decision pending' instead of being 'denied'.
Are you saying one can appeal a decision when the reported reviews are in a state of 'Decision pending'?
How should I proceed?
Any thoughts?