Rabbi Nathan Spitzer, Faces assault charge but boy has still not signed complaint

SPRING VALLEY — Though the Rockland District Attorney’s Office doesn’t have a signed complaint by a 10-year-old boy needed to prosecute an assault, a religious school principal must answer the charge in court on April 18.

Rabbi Nathan Spitzer, who no longer is at United Talmudical Academy, has been accused by police of slapping the boy hard enough to cause swelling to the child’s eye, ear and face.

Spitzer has yet to be arraigned on the charge of third-degree assault filed by the Spring Valley police.

The rabbi’s arraignment had been scheduled for April 4 but was adjourned at the request of his lawyer. James Licata represented the rabbi as a private client. Licata has been the county’s chief public defender since 1994.

A key to the case remains the boy’s signing a deposition accusing Spitzer of slapping him several times on Feb. 12. The signed statement is needed to prosecute Spitzer, District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said.

The deadline for the deposition is April 22, 60 days after the police complaint was signed on Feb. 21. Spring Valley detectives filed the charges based upon their investigation and bruises on the boy, but the family didn’t cooperate.

“We still don’t have the signed deposition by the victim, which is is necessary for us to continue,” Zugibe said Monday.

Zugibe said the boy’s family has retained a lawyer to speak for the child and his parents.

Spring Valley police learned about the Feb. 12 incident after a doctor reported the boy’s swollen face, eye and ear, authorities said. A doctor is mandated by law to report signs of abuse to the police. So are teachers, nurses and school officials, for example.

Spring Valley police Detective Kevin Freeman filed a criminal complaint charging Spitzer with third-degree assault, accusing him of intending to physically harm the child. A second complaint charges Spitzer with endangering the welfare of a child.

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 counties. The village of Kiryas Joel is the Satmar community in Monroe in Orange County.

Corporal punishment for misbehaving students is not taboo in religious schools, but beating a child is not tolerated, said Yossi Gestetner, a Monsey parent who does public relations for the religious community as well as political commentary.

 

By Steve Lieberman - Lohud