Rabbi Baruch Lanner former head of NCSY sentenced to seven years in jail
justice achshav
Prominent rabbi gets seven years for abusing girls
Saturday, October 05, 2002
Bergen Record, NJ
By TOM DAVIS
Staff Writer
FREEHOLD - A sobbing Baruch Lanner begged for forgiveness Friday as a
state judge sentenced the nationally known rabbi to seven years in
prison for sexual misconduct against a student and for other offenses.
The former principal of Hillel Yeshiva in Ocean Township, who admitted
Friday to "spurts of impulsive behavior," also apologized to his
family and colleagues, but not to his two female accusers. Both were
teenage students in the early 1990s when the incidents occurred.
"I am a social outcast, shunned by everyone, and I teach no one," said
the 52-year-old rabbi, a divorced father of three who has lived in
Paramus and Fair Lawn. "In a very real sense, I brought this upon
myself."
Lanner's attorneys, who asked for a four-year sentence, say they will
appeal.
One of Lanner's accusers, who is now 21 and identified only as "M.C.,"
approached Lanner in Judge Paul Chaiet's courtroom in state Superior
Court and told the rabbi, "You ruined my life."
During a two week trial in June, the woman said Lanner groped her in
his office.
Her parents left the courtroom when she spoke Friday, saying later
that they didn't want to "embarrass" her by listening.
Others in the packed audience gasped as sheriff's officers led the
once dynamic rabbi away in handcuffs. The former leader of an Orthodox
youth group, who had a national following, glanced at his elderly
mother as she cried.
In June, a jury convicted Lanner on two counts of endangering the
welfare of a child, one for each female accuser. He was convicted on
one count of aggravated and criminal sexual contact against one
accuser, who is now 23. He also was found guilty of one count of
harassment.
However, the jury of six men and six women acquitted Lanner of sexual
misconduct charges relating to the 21-year-old accuser.
Sentencing guidelines called for five to 20 years in prison.
Chaiet said probation could have been sufficient because of Lanner's
exemplary background and his lack of a criminal past.
However, he cited the guidelines in issuing the seven-year-sentence.
"Jail is mandatory. The only question is how long,'' said the judge.
"They [his accusers] have suffered as a result of Lanner's actions.
The bottom line is, he deserves to go to jail."
The sentence will require Lanner, upon his release, to register with
local authorities as required by Megan's Law.
The prosecution and the parents of M.C. believed the punishment was
fair. Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Peter Boser did not offer a
recommendation for sentencing, suggesting only that Lanner should pay
for "taking advantage of his position as a religious leader to commit
these crimes."
"I'm satisfied that my daughter was vindicated," said M.C.'s father,
who said he was disappointed that Lanner did not apologize.
Before the sentencing, Nathan Dershowitz, a new member of Lanner's
defense team, sought to reverse the verdict. Dershowitz, whose
brother, Allan, worked many high-profile cases, asked for a new trial
on the grounds that the verdicts were "inconsistent."
He argued that it didn't make sense to convict Lanner of endangering
both accusers but assaulting only one. Chaiet rejected the argument.
Throughout the trial, Lanner's defense team challenged the credibility
of the accusers, whose names Chaiet prohibited from being published.
Both had a history of academic and disciplinary problems at Hillel, as
well as mental health problems, according to testimony from the
school's teachers and administrators.
Lanner, who taught at The Frisch School in Paramus in the 1980s,
resigned as director of regions for the National Conference of
Synagogue Youth in 2000 after The Jewish Week of New York published
accounts from more than 25 former students charging sexual, physical,
and emotional abuse.
The criminal proceedings were closely followed by Orthodox parents,
many of whom enrolled their children in the youth program.
Teaneck resident Murray Sragow, whose children participated in the
programs, said many parents remain frustrated over what they see as
the failure of the group's leadership to respond to earlier warning
signals. And he asked for continued vigilance.
"If we allow ourselves to declare victory and go home happy because
one man has been stopped, we will be making a terrible mistake,'' he
wrote in an e-mail. "The goal must not be the removal of a dangerous
man, but the removal of the philosophy that attracted and nurtured
him.''
One former student, a man who said he was mistreated by the rabbi,
said he welcomed the sentence.
"The satisfaction comes from justice being served,'' the man said in a
telephone interview. "Somebody finally did the right thing. I feel an
immense sense of pride and gratitude towards the two girls and their
families for coming forward and taking this all the way.''
The trial came as reports of sexual misconduct involving priests have
shaken the Catholic Church. Both sides in the Lanner case expressed
confidence that the jurors were not prejudiced by national publicity.
Staff writer Deena Yellin contributed to this article. Tom Davis'
e-mail address is dav...@northjersey.com
Copyright © 2002 North Jersey Media Group Inc
http://www.app.com/app2001/story/0,21133,625766,00.html
Rabbi gets 7 years for abusing 2 teens
Published in the Asbury Park Press 10/05/02
By ELAINE SILVESTRINI
FREEHOLD BUREAU
FREEHOLD -- Tearfully insisting he is "not a monster," a rabbi was
sentenced to seven years in state prison yesterday for endangering the
welfare of two teen-age girls and sexually touching one of them
several years ago when he was principal of their religious school in
Ocean Township.
Lawyers for Rabbi Baruch Lanner, 52, of Fair Lawn, immediately began
working to secure his release, filing an appeal with a judge of the
Appellate Division of state Superior Court, who agreed to hear their
request that Lanner be freed on bail pending the appeal of his
conviction.
But Lanner will be jailed for at least four days until Judge Mary
Catherine Cuff hears the defense application. The prosecution has
until Tuesday afternoon to file a response.
Lanner was convicted in June of the charges involving girls who were
both under 16 at the time of the offenses, which happened at Hillel
High School between 1992 and 1996. The victims are now aged 21 and 23.
In a handwritten emergency appeal filed on the bail issue, defense
lawyers asked that Lanner be released before the Sabbath began at 6:20
p.m. yesterday. "Defendant is concerned about his safety in prison
because of the nature of his crimes and the fact that he is an
Orthodox Jewish rabbi," they wrote.
The defense team -- which grew from three to four with the addition of
Nathan Z. Dershowitz, brother of well-known lawyer Alan Dershowitz --
made several attempts yesterday to spare Lanner from going to jail,
failing to persuade Superior Court Judge Paul F. Chaiet to grant
Lanner a new trial or bail pending appeal.
Chaiet noted and the defense conceded that prison sentences are
virtually mandatory for the second-degree endangering charges. And the
defense lawyers failed to convince Chaiet that the convictions on
those charges should be set aside.
Chaiet also declined a request from lawyer Julian Wilsey that Lanner
not be handcuffed in the courtroom and that Wilsey be allowed to
escort his client into a security corridor after he was sentenced. The
judge said the rabbi would be treated like every other criminal
sentenced to prison.
Although the hearing was rife with legal maneuvering, there was
emotion, as well, with the younger of Lanner's victims quietly telling
Chaiet the rabbi had "destroyed my life and my family."
The other victim did not attend the hearing. Assistant Prosecutor
Peter Boser told the judge the young woman feels "remorseful and
guilty" that she didn't step forward to stop Lanner before the other
girl was victimized. Referring to that victim, Boser said Lanner
"stole her faith."
As victims of sex offenses, the victims' names were not made public at
the trial.
The rabbi's appeal
Lanner gave an impassioned, dramatic speech, telling the judge, "After
lengthy introspection and self-evaluation, I stand before you
shattered and destroyed." But, he added, he believes what happened to
him is "just. Everything comes from the hands of God, and God is
just."
Lanner continued, "I am a religious person, despite whatever mistakes
I have been accused or found guilty of. . . . I am not a monster,
certainly not cold-hearted, and I don't isolate and destroy children.
. . . At this point, I'm a social outcast, shunned by all. I teach no
one, I study with no one. And the greatest tragedy of all, I learn
from no one."
While not outright admitting guilt to the charges, Lanner said, "I
brought this upon myself . . . by poor judgment combined with
impulsive behavior."
Referring to God, Lanner said, "I desecrated his great name. It is for
this I am truly sorry and beg the forgiveness of all."
He lamented that he will not be permitted to work with children
anymore. "Never again will I be entrusted with the greatest gift of
all, the heart, mind and potential of a youngster."
"Even as I mourn and pity my own wretched fate, my greatest anguish is
for my innocent family," he said. "Your honor, what can you do to me
that can possibly rival what I've done to myself?"
"I beg your honor to employ his great wisdom to find a sentence that
will allow me, in some way, to set right what I have distorted, and
not just be punitive. Please find a way, your honor, to allow me to
turn tragedy into purpose, pain into joy and despair into hope."
The parents of the younger victim were unimpressed with Lanner's plea,
telling reporters after the hearing that he had apologized to everyone
but the young women and had failed to admit what he did.
Judge: Jail is deserved
In passing sentence, Chaiet said Lanner "deserves to go to jail" as he
has "inflicted great pain on others and brought embarrassment" to his
profession. The judge said he found the victims to be credible
witnesses: "They both suffered greatly as a result of Rabbi Lanner's
actions."
The judge said Lanner has helped many children with their religious
studies. "But along the way, he has apparently abused, battered and
taken advantage of a number of people."
However, the judge declined a request by Boser that he impose
consecutive sentences for the two endangering charges, saying that was
unnecessary. The maximum sentence for the charges is 10 years in
prison. Chaiet's sentence reflected the legal presumption of seven
years.
In addition, Chaiet told Lanner that as a repetitive sex offender, he
is subject to Megan's Law. His earliest possible parole date for the
seven-year sentence is roughly a year and ten months.
The younger victim's mother said after the hearing that she believes
Lanner "can never be rehabilitated," and is likely to start abusing
victims again.
She commended the tireless work of Boser, former Assistant Prosecutor
Marc Fliedner, Detective Brian Veprek and Lucille Burgener, who works
for the prosecutor's Victim Witness unit. "They all hold very dear to
me," she said.
The Lanner investigation reportedly began after one former student's
allegations were printed in New York Jewish Week in July 2000. The
newspaper conducted an investigation that turned up abuse claims by 25
of Lanner's former students, most from the job he held before he came
to Hillel in 1982.
The newspaper said former students accused Lanner of kneeing some boys
in the groin and fondling or striking some girls. After the story
appeared, Lanner resigned as director of regions for the Orthodox
Union's National Conference of Synagogue Youth, based in New York.
In December 2000, an Orthodox Union internal investigation was made
public. The inquiry concluded that some personnel of the Orthodox
Union and the National Conference of Synagogue Youth failed to respond
properly to "red flags" raised during decades of complaints against
Lanner. No cover-up was found, but Lanner's "inappropriate and crude
behavior" should have led to his firing, according to a summary of the
report.
ELurio
Contrast this with the Catholic League for Civil and Religious rights, which
recently defended Irish Catholic Slave Labor prisons as a postive thing.
eric l.
justice achshav
vacuum.
I suggest you read the OU Public report on Lanner at:
http://www.ou.org/oupr/2000/comm/SC000001.pdf
Clearly there were numerous people in the community who tolerated this
behavior and protected Lanner for years. It's unfortunate that legally
there are no consequences to them. If they really had rachmanus on
Lanner or his victims (as they claim) they would have made sure Lanner
was removed from chinuch years ago instead of protecting him. Morally,
they belong in jail with Lanner.
Even today, there are still prominent people aiding Lanner (see
article below).
Witnesses for Rabbi Lanner included:
1) Rabbi Matthew Tropp, currently director of NCSY's New Jersey
region; (although he's changed his tune lately)
2) Rabbi Ari Winter, who heads NCSY's summer program in Israel for
girls;
3) Rabbi Nisanel Yudin, assistant principal at the Frisch High School
in Paramus;
4) Rabbi Perry Tershwel, principal of a yeshiva high school in Boca
Raton, Fla.;
5) Rabbi Jonathan Zakutinsky a former Hillel teacher and New Jersey
NCSY leader; and
6) Shimmie Kaminetsky, an official with Senior NCSY.
This list doesn't even begin to name the many NCSY/OU officials and
community members that knew of Lanner's activities over the years.
>Contrast this with the Catholic League for Civil and Religious
>rights, which recently defended Irish Catholic Slave Labor
>prisons as a postive thing.
>eric l.
I don't why this comparison makes you feel any better. So we're better
than creepy Catholic groups. So what? There are numerous creepy and
disgusting criminals in the world. Does their existence excuse or make
tolerable the 3 decades of abuse of young children in the Jewish
community by Lanner? Is there an answer as to why this was allowed to
occur or a guarantee it isn't happening/won't happen again with
someone else?
http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=6384
The Jewish Week
(07/03/2002)
Lanner Convicted On Abuse Charges
Faces 20 years in prison; 'we plowed through the smokescreens,'
juror says.
Eric J. Greenberg - Staff Writer
Freehold, N.J., Marcie Lenk's first response on hearing of the
guilty verdict last Thursday in the trial of her former mentor, Rabbi
Baruch Lanner, on child sexual abuse charges was a sense of relief.
Lenk, a 36-year-old Ph.D. candidate in religion at Harvard University,
has been part of an informal network of former National Conference of
Synagogue Youth members who have been struggling for many years to
convince Orthodox authorities to prevent the 52-year-old Rabbi Lanner
from having any contact with children.
"I felt that his ability to hurt more kids is over," said the Teaneck,
N.J., native, who says she was abused by Rabbi Lanner as a teenager.
Juror Nancy Cangiano told The Jewish Week in an exclusive interview
Monday that she believed the jury made a "good decision" to convict,
particularly on learning after the trial in Monmouth County that Rabbi
Lanner has a long history of abuse allegations. That history was
inadmissible in court.
"It was a hard decision to make, especially about a person in that
position as a rabbi. I felt bad having to do it," said Cangiano, of
Manalapan, adding that she believed the panel of six men and six women
"did the right thing."
After two days of deliberation, the jury in Superior Court in Freehold
convicted Rabbi Lanner of sexually abusing two teenage girls while
they were his students between 1992 and 1996 at Hillel High School in
Ocean Township, and under his supervision at NCSY, the teen arm of the
Orthodox Union.
Rabbi Lanner was found guilty of endangering the welfare of both
girls, the most serious charge. In addition, he was convicted of
aggravated criminal sexual contact and sexual contact against one of
the girls, but was acquitted of those charges against the other. Rabbi
Lanner also was convicted of harassment against the second girl.
The rabbi is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 13. He faces a maximum
20 years in prison on the two endangering convictions, as well as up
to $300,000 in fines.
However, court experts said they expected the prison term would be
considerably less, given that this is a first offense and Rabbi
Lanner's standing as a clergyman.
Defense attorney Marvin Schechter said the five-person defense team is
considering an appeal.
Speaking to the press for the first time, shortly after his
conviction, Rabbi Lanner cited the blessing, "Blessed art Thou, God,
the true judge," customarily recited on hearing of a death or other
bad news.
Rabbi Lanner was released on his own recognizance, but his passport
was held by prosecutors. The rabbi and his mother, Augusta, are liable
for $100,000 if he flees.
Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Peter Boser said Rabbi Lanner
cannot have unsupervised contact with children under 18 years of age.
He is also expected to undergo psychological evaluation at a sexual
treatment center in Woodbridge, N.J.
During the two-week trial before Judge Paul Chaiet, the women, now 23
and 21, testified that Rabbi Lanner touched their private parts
through their clothing and had phone conversations with them of a
sexual nature.
The women said that when they rebuffed the rabbi's advances, he
retaliated against them in school and at events of NCSY, where they
were also members.
"We are very gratified with the outcome of the verdict," said the
parents of the 21-year-old, saying they feel she has been vindicated.
They expressed the hope that "this has been a cleansing experience for
her and that she can now move forward."
The victims testified it was a June 2000 Jewish Week investigation of
Rabbi Lanner, which contained interviews with dozens of people who
said that he had sexually, physically or psychologically abused them
while they were teens, which spurred them to press charges.
Rabbi Lanner resigned the day the article appeared. Several weeks
later, the Monmouth County prosecutor's office launched an
investigation.
On Dec. 26, 2000, the OU issued a report accusing Rabbi Lanner of
sexually abusing women and girls and physically abusing boys and
girls. The report revealed that OU and NCSY officials had known of the
rabbi's behavior but failed to stop it.
Several former alleged victims told The Jewish Week the guilty verdict
gave them a feeling of validation, but they don't believe the issue,
with its ramifications for the Orthodox and wider Jewish community, is
over.
"I hope this conviction sounds a warning to those who allow themselves
to remain blind to the abuses going on around them," said Judy
Klitsner, an alleged victim as a teen in the 1970s who, as an Israeli
educator, has been outspoken on the Lanner issue. She called for the
formation of a vehicle that would "handle such problems long before
they reach the stage of criminal proceedings."
She and other alleged victims bemoaned how long it took for Rabbi
Lanner to be punished, decades after the initial complaints and 13
years after several victims testified against the rabbi at a bet din,
or religious court, which took no action against him.
"What the rabbis didn't understand in 1989, this jury did now," said
one alleged victim.
"I feel that in the end, an impartial jury decided we were not crazy,"
Lenk said, "even though the jury doesn't know about us," referring to
victims from the 1970s and '80s.
"But those girls who were brave enough to testify, they were us. We
were them."
Judge Chaiet has barred the media from disclosing the victim's full
names.
Despite never hearing about the past allegations, the jury had an
inkling there was a deeper story they were not privy to about Rabbi
Lanner, Cangiano said, because attorneys from both sides made vague
references to Jewish Week articles. But she said the jury based its
verdict on their reading of the law, as charged by Chaiet, and the
credibility of the two victims.
Cangiano said the jury was not swayed by the defense contention that
Rabbi Lanner could not have molested the girls because the Venetian
blinds on his window-enclosed office were always up, making such
behavior impossible.
"There were enough blind spots in the room that something could have
happened if somebody wanted it to," Cangiano said the jury concluded.
The defense had also contended that the victims had bad grades and
sought revenge on Rabbi Lanner for ruining their high school years.
"We plowed through the smokescreens that were there," Cangiano said.
Fred Zemel, a Lanner attorney, told the Washington Post that he
believed the jury was influenced by heavy news coverage of the
Catholic Church sex abuse scandal.
"It was in the back of everyone's mind," he said after the trial.
"This was a lynch mob and they lynched him."
But Cangiano said the national scandal of clergy sexually abusing
children currently rocking the Church was not a factor in the jury's
deliberations.
"Nobody brought it up," she said. "I think people tried to not think
about that."
Cangiano said the issue was the credibility of the two women and the
corroborating testimony of the two other prosecution witnesses
the mother of the 21-year-old and a male friend of the 23-year-old
vs. Rabbi Lanner's 14 witnesses, which included rabbis,
yeshiva high school teachers and past and present NCSY student leaders
and officials.
Witnesses for Rabbi Lanner included Rabbi Matthew Tropp, currently
director of NCSY's New Jersey region; Rabbi Ari Winter, who heads
NCSY's summer program in Israel for girls; Rabbi Nisanel Yudin,
assistant principal at the Frisch High School in Paramus; Rabbi Perry
Tershwel, principal of a yeshiva high school in Boca Raton, Fla.;
Rabbi Jonathan Zakutinsky a former Hillel teacher and New Jersey NCSY
leader; and Shimmie Kaminetsky, an official with Senior NCSY.
"I have no joy in Rabbi Lanner going to prison," said Elie Hiller, a
former NCSY employee who said the rabbi abused him as a youth and who
has been fighting for years to get action by Orthodox authorities. "I
finally feel believed, and this puts it on the record."
elu...@aol.com (ELurio) wrote in message news:<20021005214623...@mb-ca.aol.com>...