These teachers must go. It isn’t only about how safe those schools are now. It’s about giving a pass to enablers. These teachers share some of the blame and do not deserve to teach. Can anyone imagine Joe Paterno getting a pass for his ‘looking the other way’ about the sexual abuse his assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was found guilty of? Who would not be outraged by that?! What parent would want to send their child to a school where enablers are given a pass?
No parent should consider those schools as long as they are there. Nor should any parent who made deposits with these schools prior to this event be forced to send their daughters there now. That money should be refunded in full.
And yet, Rabbi Eidensohn says that all we need to know is that safety measures are now in place and this cannot happen again. Maybe so. But justice will not be served if those teachers are still there. Nor would I want my daughters influenced by a teacher who put her job ahead of their students’ welfare.
I am not going cast aspersions on Rabbi Eidensohn’s motives. I’m sure he believes that he is acting L’Shem Shomayim here. But I can’t help feeling that there is an unspoken consideration here that is at least in part motivating the IBD and their supporters.
The fact is that many of these teachers are the sole (or primary) support of their husbands in Kollel. Losing their jobs will create untold hardships on their husbands and large families. Not to mention the fact that their reputations will be ruined when people find out why they were fired. I don’t know how many teachers would be affected. But even if only one is destroyed – it is one too many.
It is compassion for the families of the teachers and staff of those 4 schools that might be behind the thinking of those who are so quick to Kasher these schools. If those schools fail and close because of this event, hundreds of people will be affected. Every employee in those 4 schools will be out of a job and their reputations ruined. That is a pretty strong motive.
The problem is that the lives of the young girls victimized by Meisels and his enablers are also ruined. As Rabbi Eidensohn himself says about cases of sex abuse, ‘A serious loss of emunas chachomim ( lack of respect for all rabbis and Judaism – is occurring and threatens to get much worse)”. Is there any real justice in protecting the lives of the enablers here? Do they deserve to get a pass?
I also strongly object to his characterization of the class action lawsuits by parents asking their deposits to be refunded – saying that it is ‘A lawsuit of outrageous claims threatens a tremendous chilul hashem.’ The plaintiffs are acting under the guidance of respected rabbonim. I don’t see what right Rabbi Eidensohn has to characterize as a Chilul HaShem a parent’s right to have his deposit refunded under these conditions.
Time to move on, Rabbi Eidensohn?! I don’t think so.