Couldn't you have gone above the editor? Like a moderator, or an administrator, regarding the edit? Not saying that what happened to you is fine, but if it does happen then you have to go further.
That's the problem, I wad through enough bureaucracy when dealing with government institutions in my day job. I just don't have the time, patience, nor desire to read through pages-worth of rules and policies and correspond with a string of people who may or may not be willing to help, just to have my edit persist. I gain nothing either way.