Brooklyn, NY – A Brooklyn girls’ school has found itself in a difficult position after numerous reports have surfaced alleging that an employee had been interacting with girls inappropriately for several years and that the school’s administration was reportedly aware of the behavior but did nothing to protect students.
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Assemblyman Dov Hikind said that he had been contacted by multiple parents whose daughters attend the Bais Sarah school in Borough Park reporting the alleged behavior.
According to Hikind, parents told the school’s owner and principal, Rabbi Nuchem Klein, about the alleged abuse perpetrated by a non-Jewish employee who goes by the nickname Spikey, but no action was taken.
Hikind took to Twitter on Friday morning, asking parents who had knowledge of any abuse taking place at Bais Sarah to contact his office and reached out to Rabbi Klein to discuss the matter.
Hikind said that Rabbi Klein returned his phone call on Friday afternoon, telling him that he had received over 100 phone calls from parents over the past several hours and that the employee in question had been terminated.
According to Hikind, in addition to hearing from several parents on Friday, he also got a phone call just before Shabbos from the NYPD’s Special Victims unit in regard to a report filed by the parents of a Bais Sarah student.
“There is no question that this happened,” Hikind told VIN News. “The fact that they let this guy go speaks for itself.”
Hikind said that Bais Sarah, which has several hundred students in grades kindergarten through twelve and also runs camp Chayei Sura, has a reputation as an excellent school that places a strong emphasis on tznius.
According to Hikind, he has received reports so far of girls being kissed and touched, with the incidents taking place in the elementary school, the high school and the summer camp, located in the Catskills.
“I have been in touch with police and based on actual emails that I have in my possession from people who shared their names and their phone numbers, there were many complaints to Rabbi Klein about the inappropriate behavior and he didn’t do anything about it for years, until Friday,” said Hikind.
People have been surprisingly forthcoming, noted the assemblyman, who said that he found significant resentment directed at Rabbi Klein.
“I am told that he doesn’t answer to anyone,” said Hikind. “The fact that this school is considered to be one of the finest, where tznius is at the highest standard, is a little laughable as far as I’m concerned.”
Spikey’s firing comes as good news, but is nowhere near enough, said Hikind who voiced his outrage that Rabbi Klein reportedly knew that innocent children were being subjected to abusive behavior.
“This has been going on for a while and we do nothing?” asked Hikind. “If this wasn’t dealt with until now, that is horrible but let’s get to the bottom of this and deal with it. I want to protect children and make sure that this Spikey doesn’t end up at some other school and, to the best of my ability, I will make sure that there is justice about what happened until now.”
Rabbi Klein did not return multiple calls for comment from VIN News.
Let’s give thumbs up to what’s app “again”
The fact that they let this guy go speaks for itself what the heck does that mean this was ongoing for many years now that is coming to surface of course they let them go.someone has to take responsibility for this.I hope the parents get together and do what has to be done
This could only happen in a chaseidisha school. This would never happen in a modern orthodox school.
That’s why you never complain to the principal about important matters. You go to the board and executive director. Once they know it could affect donations, etc., they’ll do something about. The principal doesn’t necessarily think along those lines.
This is the same Nuchem Klein, who forces mothers to come down to his office in person and threatens to expel their children because of the length of their sheitlech!
Rabbi Klien chose to run instead of confronting this matter when its went viral last week; now it will run after him but, faster than him.
I guess he’ll need to learn the hard way. 🙁
Thank you H’ashem for whatsapp it saves our children. No wonder why principles & uneducated rabbis don’t like the internet
If this was going on for awhile why wasn’t a police report made????
I put more blame on the parents then the school.
my sister worked in his camp all summer and didn’t get paid because she didn’t wear the right type of stockings!
Rabbi Klein, you have a lot of explaining to do, if in fact it’s explainable altogether.
I can not figure out who it was: a janitor? a woman teacher? and rabbi?
Also the fact the Klein knew about it for years, means the fact that the person was fired only served to protect Klein and not to prove the innocence/guilt of the person….
what was the ‘crime’??
nothing is clear in this report!
Can’t wrap my head around this one. It’s just so unbelievable. Unbelievable that this lowlife was allowed to prey on these girls for so long; unbelievable that the principal knew yet took no action; unbelievable that parents were aware and didn’t yank their kids out of the school. Something just doesn’t add up. One has to wonder what hold this guy had on the so-called principal…..
Why arent we looking for Rabbi Klein’s RESIGNATION?
of rather HIS ARREST???
Rabbi Klein is just as guilty as the person who was fired maybe more. He knew about it and did nothing! He did not protect the girls in his care which is unforgiveable! I would not let him near my daughter! Good rabbi or bad!
Something is wierd . Granted our schools are too slow to fire or apprehend our own . But why would a school not fire a “goy”? To the contrary it makes them look good and serious without the normal downside of ruining one of our owns life and family for just an accusation . ( Not saying we shouldn’t fire rabbeim either , but with a rebbe one needs to ensure that the rumor has substance before you destroy him . But a goy????)
Kudos to our “hero” DOV HIKIND …It’s sad that you’re leaving us. Who’s going to have the guts to do what’s right even when they have to go against the Mosdos. All other politicians are dead scared of them because they are the ones who have the power & votes, but DOV you never cared, you did what’s right….You will be sorely missed!! Hatzlacha Raba in your future endevours.
The root of the problem is that our schools are run as private businesses instead of public institutions which would require transparency and accountability in all metrics of performance not just the issue of molestation. This allows an environment where parents are at the mercy of the dictators running the schools and they have no recourse and must submit to the whims of those in power. It is long overdue for this system to be completely overhauled.
I do not know if this story is true or not. However I do know that Nochum Klein (note I don’t call him Rabbi) is a very tough man who does not care what anybody says or thinks of him. He has a mind of his own and he does what he wants. He has thrown out families on the street literally the day before school started because the parents had disagreemants with him or could not afford his draconian tuition hikes. He also has fought with many vendors and is not avery lovely man.
Isn’t Hikind the one who a few years ago said he had hundreds of files about Rabbis and Yeshiva employees who have allegedly sexually abused children and he wouldn’t turn the information over to law enforcement?
Rabbi Klein should step down. Even though he runs it like a family business; he must say I made a mistake and let get somebody else to make it right
I say “where there is smoke, there is fire”….ONE complaint is ONE too many. This person should have been fired after the first legitimate complaint. By now, after so many years of misconduct reports, he should have been charged! Now the perpetrator is continuing his agenda on others. Rabbi Klein should also face charges for being negligent in taking care of the girls attending his school….our most prized possessions, our children, are in his care all day, every day!!!!!!!
Rabbi Klein for years showed poor judgement where his students were concerned. He must be fired and not allowed to work with children.
please be don’t judge till you know all the fact
Does people who judge are self self hating jews they are looser
me as a father of 2 in school and in camp knows rabbi klein well in trust him all the way with of the best chinich and caring of each individual. would say this is coming from the bad people that would not be accepted in his school so making up stores on the school
I am fluent in six languages, including English, Yiddish and Hebrew, and able to converse passably in two more. I am not saying this to brag but because I’d like to point something out. Many of the comments on this story have not been written in any language that I can identify. I wonder if others have taken note of this, and what would be their opinion on why this story in particular has attracted so many unlettered commenters.
We all see the world in terms of good or evil but in reality people are more complicated. An askan can help many people and donate huge sums of the money but that doesn’t mean he is honest in business and/or treats his wife with respect. Same here with Mr. Klein, I have no doubt that he helped many girls and their families and I am sure many admire and respect him for that but if these alleged accusations are true and he allowed this abuse to go on because he was afraid that this individual would report financial improprieties is very troubling. We all have good and evil in us but hopefully our sins do not ruin the lives of our fellow brethren.
Hikind told VIN News. “The fact that they let this guy go speaks for itself.”
Friday the Whatsapp mob demanded that he be fired and questions be asked later, now that he was fired “it speaks for itself” of some alleged wrongdoing not only by the guy but by the school as well!
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
OK. 100 parents called Hikind to complain. What is wrong with them?? Their children are being sexually abused and not one goes to the police?? Please no crap answers about the Chassidish community and shame. These parents do not give a damn about their children and might of screwed up their lives.
Hi,
I read a lot of comment here, and it seems to me that most (if not all people here are not even parents in this school, they are just the same LOSERS that always compliant every time there is something against a mosdos. AND THEY SHOULD ALL SHUT UP!!!
I am a parent of a child in this school, and I never had any compliant on the school or administration. I called in to the school after these rumors came out, and they told me that they are on top of this investigation, and never ignored anything concerning, (and they fired this guy just to keep parents calm)
I connected Mr. Hikind’s office as well and asked if I should be concerned and if they verified if the people that called in are actual parents of this school. They did not know a lot of information, they basically took their information from the voice note that went around (which that woman is BTW not a parent in this school), and from anonymous people that are not parents in this school.
I spoke to a lot of people that have children here, and nether of them were concerned, even that girl that supposedly had the fabricated story in the summer is still in school with her sister, and it doesn’t look like her parents are concer
Finally, I just want to say this is a great school and all you losers go find yourself jobs!!
I’m writing as a parent that had a few kids in Bais Sara school, when this story broke we had extensive talks about this guy, they had many stories! With the victims names, (i wrote down 12) from locking up girls in fridge in camp, flirting, calling girls by their names to come talk to him, to inappropriate touching in many different ways, 4 kissing attempts, 3 of which they confirmed with friends that was reported to (Rabbi?) Klein at the time, these stories have been happening over the years and not just recently, (i did not confirm the latest story but did confirm few similar stories in the past).
As head of the school and over involved in every aspect of the school, he knows every single thing that happens (even the most minor things he gets involved in).
I cannot understand what his mindset was on this matter, i know for a fact that he knew the stories about this employee as they happened and keeping him in school is no question negligence and child, endangerment.
Most girls have that uncomfortable feeling around him too, they call him the creep, he’s behaving like a pedophile, makes the girls very uncomfortable! This is a whole discussion in itself (i have not heard of any physical actions or stories about him that makes him one).
If he wants to keep his name and school name (which is a great school besides some issues) he will need to hire a good principal and stay out of the school for the most part (same with camp).
Wow, #87 th comment for this major headline “Hikind” this and Hikind that… what a hero‽ where was Hikind when a FedEx employee stabbed a bid in Manhattan? Why didn’t he call for a FedEx boycott?
It’s time for Hikind’s resignation.
This community has their priorities mixed up.
I heard he owns the school. So how can he resign?
This letter was sent by Rabbi Klein – PART 1
April 30 ’18
To our dear Bais Sura parents,
As the Dean of Mosdos Bais Sura and Camp Chayei Sura I feel it important and imperative that clarification be made in regard to the events that have happened this past Erev Shabbos.
An individual, who is not a part of the parent bodo of Bais Sura, and is not associated with the school in any way, has sent out a voise message. This message made serious accusations that we have “tuned a blind eye” on some alleged terrible behavior by one of the school employees. This individual, having no first-hand knowledge or facts, still decided to irresponsibly put this out in public.
I feel compelled to strongly let the parents know that the safety and security of each and every child is of primary concern on a daily basis. There is constant surveillance monitoring the outside of the building and within as well. Those cameras and its recordings are viewed and checked for any and all wrongdoings. Additionally, there are heimishe and dedicated employees on all floors at any given time.
After thorough reviews of all on going, the allegations that were spread were found to be unjustified. However, in
Letter from Rabbi Klein PART 2
However, in an effort to reassure and comfort our concerned parents and students, this employee has been terminated from working at Bais Sura in any capacity.
The unfortunate part of this situation is that some have made this their stage to spread unwarranted לשון הרע and vent frustrations; without regard to any harm this may cause our students or this מוסד. For the past 20 years the goal of Mosdos Bais Sura has always been the same. It is to be mechanech our children על פי טהרת הקודש with the strongest and purest chinuch. There are ב”ה many grateful parents and proud graduates who can attest to this standard that we have set. It is also one that we will never waver from.
Let us keep in mind that we are and remain a partnership. It is with the combined effort to parent and school that we will אי”ה be זוכה to continue to educate our children with much סייעתא דשמייא.
Respectfully,
Rabbi Nuchem Klein
After the letter he sent everyone is quite all of the sudden?