SPRING VALLEY — A religious school principal pleaded not guilty Thursday to misdemeanor charges of slapping a young male student hard enough to leave swelling and bruises to his eye, ear and face.
Rabbi Meilech Spitzer, once the principal at United Talmudical Academy in the village, stood for arraignment before Justice Alan Simon on misdemeanor counts of third-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. He entered the plea through his lawyer, Robert Conklin.
While Spitzer made his first appearance since being arrested by Spring Valley police in February, the future of the prosecution remains cloudy.
The Rockland District Attorney's Office needs a signed complaint by the 10-year-old boy to prosecute the rabbi. Without the signed affidavit, the case amounts to hearsay based upon the police investigation and prosecutor Eric Holzer cannot move forward, District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said.
Zugibe said Thursday that the family is still not cooperating with the police or prosecutors. He said the boy’s parents have hired a lawyer.
The legal deadline for the child to sign the complaint is 90 days from now. Police filed the charges on Feb. 21 against Spitzer, a longtime educator who lives in Brooklyn but has family living in Spring Valley.
Rockland Social Services Commissioner Susan Sherwood is concerned. The county Child Protective Services is under her auspices.
“In all these cases involving kids we expect their parents to protect them,” Sherwood told The Journal News. “Anyone who works in any school is a mandated reporter. If they see or suspect any abuse of any kind it’s their mandated job to report it. Without that pressure from the family and mandated reporters, I am very worried about not only this child but others.”
In court, Simon also issued an order of protection that Spitzer not have any physical confrontation with the child. Conklin told Simon the order was not necessary since the incident allegedly took place two months ago. Simon said orders of protection “can’t hurt.”
Simon also set another court appearance for June 6 so the prosecution can update him on the status of case.
Spitzer, who turns 60 on Monday, declined comment as he rushed from the courtroom.
Four or five Hasidic Jewish men blocked reporters from talking to the rabbi or taking photographs or video. They put a jacket over his head to hide his face as he got into a waiting car and used their hats to block cameras.
Conklin declined comment on the case after court. So did the men who were with the rabbi.
Spring Valley detectives filed the criminal complaint charges based upon their investigation and bruises on the boy, but the family didn't cooperate with them. Spring Valley police learned about the Feb. 12 incident after a doctor reported the boy's swollen face, eye and ear, authorities said.
Simon also set another court appearance for June 6 so the prosecution can update him on the status of case.
Spitzer, who turns 60 on Monday, declined comment as he rushed from the courtroom.
Four or five Hasidic Jewish men blocked reporters from talking to the rabbi or taking photographs or video. They put a jacket over his head to hide his face as he got into a waiting car and used their hats to block cameras.
Spring Valley detectives filed the criminal complaint charges based upon their investigation and bruises on the boy, but the family didn't cooperate with them. Spring Valley police learned about the Feb. 12 incident after a doctor reported the boy's swollen face, eye and ear, authorities said.
The incident had been reported on some blogs that cater to the ultra-Orthodox community. One blog posted purported photographs of the boy's face.
The UTA is the educational arm of the Satmar Hasidim and runs several schools in Brooklyn and suburban counties like Rockland and Orange. The village of Kiryas Joel is the Satmar community in Monroe, Orange County.
The UTA school is located on Madison Avenue and Route 45 and is undergoing renovations and faces several violations of village safety codes, including improperly tearing down an asbestos-ridden balcony.
By Steve Lieberman - Lohud
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