A $100 million lawsuit was filed after a D.C. rabbi and former Towson University professor secretly recorded dozens of naked women in a Jewish ritual bath. Lawyers aren’t only going after the rabbi, WJZ’s Ava-joye Burnett reports.
The lawsuit against Rabbi Barry Freundel and four institutions he worked for topped a staggering $100 million. The rabbi secretly recorded dozens of naked women in a ritual bath known as a mikvah.
“He was really calculating for a really long time, and I really do believe he was a sociopath and is a sociopath,” one victim said.
Lawyer Sanford Heisler said: “We will ask a D.C. jury to hold all defendants liable and impose punitive damages in order to send a strong message that even institutions draped in the cloak of spirituality won’t escape punishment when they violate their legal obligations.”
Forward
The Beth Din of America has been added to the list of defendants in a $100 million class action suit against Rabbi Barry Freundel, the prominent Washington, D.C., spiritual leader who was convicted of secretly videotaping women in his synagogue’s ritual bath, and several Jewish institutions.
On Tuesday, the attorneys representing the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint in Superior Court in Washington, D.C., that included the rabbinical court, according to a news release on behalf of the Sanford Heisler and Chaikin Sherman Cammarata Siegel law firms.
The suit, which was filed originally in December 2014, also names as defendants Freundel’s former synagogue, Kesher Israel; the Rabbinical Council of America, the main professional association for modern Orthodox rabbis in the United States; and the National Capital Mikvah, the ritual bath Freundel used to spy on his victims. [...]
Unless they have some non public information, the bet din of america had nothing to do with this case. And the ,RCA has very little,, and probably has no (legal) duty to the public, other than questionable business practices.
ReplyDeleteAlso , the damages are minimal / nominal, since he never publicized the pictures.
Here we go again...
ReplyDeleteVTP (Victim-turned-predator) - Type C (http://achaslmaala.blogspot.com/2016/06/mesira-xv-victim-turned-predator.html )
I suppose every commenter except I will cheer on these shameless gold-diggers.
There is a Shulchan Oruch. here we go aggain with arko"oys. Although the demise of the BDA would be totally welcomed. They have perverted halocho when it comes to divorce. it would be great if they were eliminated. Although they are unlikely to suffer.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is rather ve*sheva lemata*.spotOn.orgy.hidden.Camera.
ReplyDeleteVehoelokim Bikesh et haNirdaf! R' Chaim Kanievsky has put everyone on notice, Those Feminist rabiners are choshud al hoArayos, and here you have it. As they say, the fish starts to stink from the head, BAD-RAc they were caught red handed with the *MEUSSEI GITTIN* FedSting with the Epstein & PROD & Kidnapping & Beatings & BLOODY MURDER INC. & Waterboarding Et AL. That makes it a PRP (Perpetrator-remains-Perpetrator) and the whole gang that couldn't shoot straight sitting in Jail , as well as they should.
It is a (NWO) New-World-Order now!
What has been publicized as So called *Messira* on Free for all TASHBAR (MM) Mass Molestation, has now been uncovered as a Grandiose Coverup Killing of our young. It has been uncovered in Tel Aviv, KYUSA, NYUSA, USA, Bnei Brak, Yerushalayim, Aussie, and all over the Globe, factories of Gilui Arayos, Gezel, uShfichus Damim as marbeh mamzerim beYisrael. So called Messira has been a FRONT and coverup for sadistic attacks on our children.
The Mikva rabiners with Sauna rabiners and Hired Prod Rabiner$ vechol minei shemos hanirdofim are being uncovered daily, it is high time to sue them out of existence. Sure, they had nothing to do with it, except that the money trail and the stamp of approval for the non-existent husband came from the head of the fish, and you need to $hecht off the head to stop the rotting to the tail end.
And oh' yes before we forget, (NNTR) no-need-to-reply, no need to cheer, and nothing to write home about.
Where's the "Original Bored Lawyer" when we need him?
ReplyDeleteHow can they name all these groups as defendants for his peeping, when they had no way of knowing that it was happening?
No matter what kind of problems are out there, you aren't going to fix any of them by indiscriminately going after the wrong people.
ReplyDeleteIf anything it will just make everything a lot worse.
http://achaslmaala.blogspot.com/2016/02/mesira-viii-desperate-measures-making.html
Chezkel
Is this in response to Freundel appealing his prison sentence and trying to cut it down to 1 year instead of 6? Or is this for money?
ReplyDelete“The lawsuit against Rabbi Barry Freundel and four institutions he worked for topped a staggering $100 million…The Beth Din of America has been added to the list of defendants in a $100 million class action suit against Rabbi Barry Freundel,”
ReplyDelete“The suit, which was filed originally in December 2014, also names as defendants Freundel’s former synagogue, Kesher Israel; the Rabbinical Council of America, the main professional association for modern Orthodox rabbis in the United States; and the National Capital Mikvah, the ritual bath Freundel used to spy on his victims.”
Wow, with a possible big jury trial! Shame shame shame.
I have not seen the Complaint so I don't know what their theory is.
ReplyDeleteUnder the general law in the U.S., where an employee commits a tort (a civil wrong) in the course of his employment, the employer is responsible. This is called respondeat superior. Let's say a company hires a truck driver to make deliveries, and he drives carelessly and hits someone, the company is responsible for damages he caused.
However, the key is that the employee committed the act in the
course of his employment. If the employee makes a major deviation from his job, then the employer is not responsible; a minor deviation is not enough. This is called the doctrine of frolic and detour. Wikipedia explains it pretty well:
To constitute a frolic or detour, the activity must be unrelated to the employer's business. However, in order for liability to be absolved, the employee must be engaged in a frolic, and not simply a detour (which may or may not result in absolution depending on additional circumstances). For example, when a delivery truck driver takes a longer route to the location he is supposed to deliver packages to because he wants to, say, see a new controversial billboard put up in town that has caused some public debate, he has merely taken a detour from his primary role as an employee/agent of the delivery company. Were he to negligently hit a pedestrian, his employer could likely still face the prospect of vicarious liability.
Conversely, if the same delivery truck driver decided to skip work for a few hours to catch a baseball game and, en route to the game he struck a pedestrian, his employer/principal would likely avoid liability, as the driver/employee/agent’s actions have constituted a frolic, and his negligent actions occurred in furtherance of an act wholly separate from his employ, even though technically he is being paid during that time by his employer/principal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respondeat_superior
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frolic_and_detour
So again, without seeing the Complaint, the main issues I see are (1) was Freundel acting as the employee or agent of these organizations (seems like a stretch for the RCA and BDA); and (2) was his act of peeping a strong enough deviation from their business – a frolic – to let them off the hook.
Negligence. These groups knew that Freundel was unqualified as a rabbi yet they never acknowledged it.
ReplyDeleteActually, its vicarious liability. He was "working" for them. Similar to someone driving someone else's car, and gets it into an accident, and suing the car owner.
ReplyDeleteReal reason: that's where the real money is.
The Mikva carried the hechsher of bad/rac, the rav hamachshir was the mashgiach of chaziray acting as an agent to the above org, on the premises of bad/rac hachshara while making believe as if his rendered services are for the benefit of the victims by adjusting the fans to the crosshairs, on the time of employment when serving clientele, unauthorized criminal device utilizing hidden cameras against the wishes of unsuspecting clients, unwanted and criminal peeping by a public person m/vs/f traumatizing the clients for a lifetime after discovery, unknown scope of who else had access to these exposures, invasion of assumed privacy, breaching the trust and faith of clients intimate privacy of which is part and parcel inluded in the fee understood. These are only for starters without seeing the actual complaint.
ReplyDeleteThis is where victims possibly cross the line from victim to golddigger. I'm all for victims being entitled to compensation. I am in complete favor of them suing Freundel and I will not second guess their decision to sue the shul and the mikva as he was arguably acting as their employee at the time. But what is the rational for suing the BDA?
ReplyDeleteA kosher miveh is so important. This relates to Mendel Epstein.
ReplyDeleteMishna - Mas. Mikva'oth Chapter 8
“Mishnah. The land of Israel is clean [Even localities occupied by non-Jews.] and its mikwehs are clean [They are not suspected of having become invalid by drawn water].”
Employers of Barry Freundel put Barry in full charge of the mikveh. Barry’s victims now sue Barry’s employers.
A kosher divorce is so important. Those that paid Mendel Epstein et al put Mendel and his several corrupt beit din in full charge of divorces. I’m waiting for Mendel’s victims to sue those that paid Mendel Epstein et al and his several corrupt beit din.
May I tell my problem? In my court papers Sunday I write: “Exhibit A: Letters to Rabbi Aryeh Ralbag. Rabbi Aryeh Ralbag was one of the 3 FBI government witnesses in the Mendel Epstein et al trial. Pacer: ``Docket Text: ORDER that Aryeh Ralbag provide testimony or other information which he refuses to provide on the basis of his privilege against self-incrimination as to all matters about which he may be questioned as to MENDEL EPSTEIN, MARTIN WOLMARK, JAY GOLDSTEIN, BINYAMIN STIMLER, DAVID ARYEH EPSTEIN, MORDECHAI EICHENTHAL. Signed by Judge Freda L. Wolfson on 3/9/2015. (mmh)'' ”
Rabbi Ralbag’s beit din did my 2/17/1993 divorce that Susan hotly denies. I don’t know, but I suspect that Mendel Epstein and Aryeh Ralbag are complicit in Susan’s stealing my house, the $10,000 and my pension. I’m trying now in court just to get my pension freed. This is what most aggravates me.
People came to immerse in this mikveh 1) leshem Geirus and 2) Taharat Hamishpacha, he lost his chezkas kashrus as *okev achar agudal* harei ze noef and therefore a Rasha. Their whole Geirus is now coming into question whether it had a Tokef because of al toshes yadcha im Rasha, and same for all tvilos. Not only is it theft of services, but gross negligence of Biblical proportions of/for these consequences and done irrepairable damage and harm. These Organizations known as BAD d/b/a BDA and RA-C dba RCA gave their stamp of approval and vouched for this bad Freundulent *Rabbi* to perform supposed Kosher Tvila in this particular *Ritualarium* that went BAD and being worthless. These above mentioned charges are on top of Peeping and recording without permission of the victims causing trauma for those patronizing. Designated as the overseer of this operation by BAD organization going from BAD to WORSE is no small potatoes. It reflects rather very poorly on these parent organizations and should be sued the begunias out of them. First with Peeping scandals, moving onto Saunas, to Selling false Gittin's, mekach lekach taus, Kohen ligrusha and the list goes on and on $elling out Toras Moshe vedas Moshe veYisrael. Three strikes and your'e out. Mi bikesh zos miyedchem remos chatzeroy? Yadeichem mleim dam, kulam menoafim, rodfei shalmonim...
ReplyDeleteThis rabiner organization is ra ra ra, rak ra kol hayom vesoruach meikro.
The world would be much better off without them.
While I normally agree with you Mr. Emes, I disagree here. Like me, you know that BDA in these עניינים is at best a כת ליצים and at worst a כת רשעים.
ReplyDeleteI have no pity on that organization. המחלל שם שמים בסתר, נפרעין ממנו בגלוי
R. Peretz steinberg gives permission to use civil courts because he says "I told them to take you to court because Bais Din has no power!" That is an exact quote of what he said to me when I asked him why he gave the go-ahead to YOUNG ISRAEL to file a defamation lawsuit against me when he knew I would answer a hazmana to Bais Din and obey their verdict. He was afraid a Bais Din would see I was right and YOUNG ISRAEL was crooked. Another person in the room heard it too because the phone was on speaker. Ironically he was accusing me of causing trouble for rabbis. I wish I had caused far more trouble for Freundel before he set up hidden cameras.
ReplyDeletewhy are they shameless? they are angry. can you blame them?
ReplyDeleteThese events shouldn't be so shocking. Arguably, much of Modern Orthodoxy's relentless feminist agenda stems from a weakness for women, if you know what I mean. In other words, they are baalei taa'veh.
ReplyDeleteUsing your argument, i can state that charedim have a weakness for young boys. (After all, charedi men are disproportionately caught with young boys)
ReplyDeleteEin hanidon domeh leraya. Most straight people have a pull to the opposite gender, it's in the briah. What counts is how they deal with it. Feminist rabiners that tend to cater to women for a favorable exchange as esnan , you scratch mine n' I'll ...
ReplyDeleteSome just steal peeps without any fee.
All the other netuyot hafuchot are equal all accross the board, regardless of their denomination. The only difference might be in the fervor that how much power the Enablers koisher kshorim conspire and exert, to Rodef the Nirdof victim so as not to disclose the menuval perpetrator i.e. as described in the book By Amy Neustein.
Lately, many changes are taking place by placing hidden cameras and calling in authorities before they scream bloody murder Mezzira chazzira. This brought on the earthquake of the century, now in the Court System B'H'.
After all, charedi men are disproportionately caught with young boys and have a "tayveh" for young boys.
ReplyDeleteThat's a vicious slander and lie!
Do you have any data to suggest this? No!
Are there any bonafide experts who say this? No! They say the opposite.
If your source of "information" is Harry Mayrels, then truth doesn't matter. He follows his infamous teacher's model: If you repeat the same lie many times, it becomes to be believed as "fact". Oh, that teacher of Harry was Joseph Gobbels.
Stop your slander and lies. Thank you.
I can agree with everything you wrote, until your fourth paragraph. There, you're dead wrong.
ReplyDeleteI'll quote it: As an aside...... So here we have people willing to expose their shame to the public and to get on a witness stand and testify (unless they settle) for a few piasters!
This is called shamelessness.
Sorry, but perpetrators must be punished. Allowing lawlessness - and making pornographic videos of people going to purify themselves - in the name of modesty is a complete corruption of modesty. They are to thanked for what they did at his sentencing hearing (although my heart does go out for him). We need a fear-factor in order to keep people away frum using others.
I agree that it sounds unfair to sue all these organizations, when they did not want any of ths to happen. But to call the plaintiffs shameless and to attack their modesty for going after those who perverted them and their acts of purification/modesty is dead wrong.
I hear what you are saying, so I will at least partially backtrack on the fourth paragraph.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think perpetrators need to be “punished” – that’s G-d’s work, but they need to be stopped from continuing. Accordingly, this brings up the question as to what is the primary motive (driving factor) for this lawsuit: Is it (a) “l’shem Shamayim” to ensure that these activities are terminated? Or is it (b) to cash in on their violation to help pay their kids tuitions?
It is probably a combined measure of both. To the extent that A is the dominant factor, you are correct. To the extent that B is the dominant factor, then I am correct. (Though I agree that anybody is entitled to sue a direct perpetrator for hezek and boshes and all).
How’s that for a compromise?
why are you keep ignoring the clear imperative of the Torah to punish wrong doers by human punishments.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't say not to punish because G-d will take care of it. This was your misinterpretation of the BM 83. R Eleazar was clearly punishing wrong doers . See Rav Moshe's letter to NY governor about the death penalty.
>>why are you keep ignoring the clear imperative of the Torah to punish wrong doers by human punishments.<<
ReplyDeleteThe clear imperative of the Torah is for Beis Din to punish wrong doers. Dinei nefashos requires 23 dayanim musmachim. Makkos only needs 3 (after a machlokes) with eidimm and hasraah.
>>Doesn't say not to punish because G-d will take care of it.<<
What doesn’t say not to punish because G-d will take care of it?
>>This was your misinterpretation of the BM 83. R Eleazar was clearly punishing wrong doers <<
See Ben Yehoyada s”v Shalach Lei
>>See Rav Moshe's letter to NY governor about the death penalty.<<
Show me Rav Moshe's letter to NY governor about the death penalty
you keep coing up with this nonsense. ok enough already you just can't hear the obviously. Not going this this loop again
ReplyDelete>>you keep coming up with this nonsense. <<
ReplyDeleteIt's not very hard to come up with this "nonsense" because this "nonsense" is written explicitly in shas (start at Sanhedrin 2a) and poskim, etc.
If you want to call the Ben Ish Chai nonsense, go right ahead. He would probably say the same about "Daas Torah".
I still haven't gotten the letter from RMF.
Placing video cameras in strategic hidden fans is no accident. BTW where these fans revolving for 90* wide view angle, or fixated as in achas lemalaa vesheva ....? Is Her Fraudulent rabiner baki only in rishonim or achronim venosei kelim mikelim as well?
ReplyDeleteSee Mishnah: Ki seitze esh umotzo kotzim, shalem yeshelam....
BAD RAC .org was quiet for some time even after the whistle blower blew only to blow testing bubbles and see where the wind blows. The responsible parties are obligated to compensate the traumatized victims that were led into the river only to drown, therefore they are entitled to such. For Pete's sake, Paul is the Pied Piper Picking the pack of Peter peppered red flagged tunes and the Peeper dances in concert along with the song, they also pay him to rid of the rats and mice. When the Peeper's keepers didn't make a peep sound in their Fiefdom thereafter, he fifed his whistle and led them to a dark hidden BAD cave, from which they never recovered.
ReplyDelete*Shamelessness* is for the Peeper and not for the peeped at. They are innocent bystander victims at no fault of their own.
*Tznius* should be directed towards the peeper, and there's nothing untzniusdig about bringing the perpetrator to order as in *uforsu es hasimla* lifnei kahal ve'eida, for all to see, to judge and to compensate pay! You got your values upside down and inside out. Only in Sdom did the victims have to pay the perpetrator. Know your chumash before you move on to Gemara.
BTW, we are not talking about a lawsuit of shave prutah, piasters with holes in them from the times of the British Mandate, we are talking about U$D big Melons uMeos SHEKEL KESSEF CHADASH oiver lasoicher, that will pull down the shutters and close shop for good, putting them out of business forever.
Well, I partially agree with your compromise. What I disagree with is the punishment part. We are responsible for l'maan yishmiue v'yiroue. A fear-factor is very important. Others should be petrified of doing anything that it is in-any-way comparable.
ReplyDeleteIf the plaintiffs woud be motivated solely by greed, then I would agree with not actively supporting it.
Thank you for responding.