PSA - Sex abuse at Washington Hebrew

[Anonymous]

This has been very painful for me as my children have attended the school since 2014. We have loved the teachers and their support of our children and family; we have learned so much about the importance of play-based learning under the direction of the director. I can attest that my kids are flourishing after moving on to elementary school, showing me that we made the right decision attending the school. I have been a room parent, and helped with school functions, attended "coffee talks" with the director. I am very involved. This accusation doesn't sound like any of the employees I know. I am praying there has been a giant misunderstanding.

The school is being as transparent as it can be: they sent emails to staff, parents, and members of the congregation (believe me, I've asked everyone who has had any connection to the synagogue). They had the townhall. I agree that I want to know the gender of the adult, the gender of the child, and what exactly the alleged did. But before the investigation is complete, they cannot give us that information.

I stand by WHC for what they have given to me and my family and I hope we can find peace and a resolution soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, on more than one occasion, he said that jewish parents were more anxious and worried more. Weird.

That is so offensive. Why would he say that, especially in light of allegations? I'm getting a Catholic church type of vibe from his attitude. Wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, on more than one occasion, he said that jewish parents were more anxious and worried more. Weird.

That is so offensive. Why would he say that, especially in light of allegations? I'm getting a Catholic church type of vibe from his attitude. Wow.

Maybe the issue is that this happens in all sorts of institutions and the problem is institutions being afraid of legal & financial backlash rather than something distinctly pathological about being Catholic. MCPS is certainly not a Catholic institution. Neither is Penn State. Nor the Key School in Annapolis or thousands of other institutions of higher learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has been very painful for me as my children have attended the school since 2014. We have loved the teachers and their support of our children and family; we have learned so much about the importance of play-based learning under the direction of the director. I can attest that my kids are flourishing after moving on to elementary school, showing me that we made the right decision attending the school. I have been a room parent, and helped with school functions, attended "coffee talks" with the director. I am very involved. This accusation doesn't sound like any of the employees I know. I am praying there has been a giant misunderstanding.

The school is being as transparent as it can be: they sent emails to staff, parents, and members of the congregation (believe me, I've asked everyone who has had any connection to the synagogue). They had the townhall. I agree that I want to know the gender of the adult, the gender of the child, and what exactly the alleged did. But before the investigation is complete, they cannot give us that information.

I stand by WHC for what they have given to me and my family and I hope we can find peace and a resolution soon.

well I’m a member and received no such email. Just my latest what’s happening flyer.

[Anonymous]

What about the Potomac location? Dj will be there now as well.

[Anonymous]

The timing with an allegation coming the first week that the school is closed(for all) feels like this happened to an all day full year child. Without wanting to know the accused or victim, it would be helpful to know which children could have been exposed to this allegation. WHC is no different than most preschools where the all day program has less oversight, less structure putting those children with working parents lower on the preschool food-chain. They pay the most but get the least value per hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The timing with an allegation coming the first week that the school is closed(for all) feels like this happened to an all day full year child. Without wanting to know the accused or victim, it would be helpful to know which children could have been exposed to this allegation. WHC is no different than most preschools where the all day program has less oversight, less structure putting those children with working parents lower on the preschool food-chain. They pay the most but get the least value per hour.

Don’t lump Washington Hebrew in with all preschools. The full day program at the Gan has arguably more structure than the half day program and the oversight is top notch as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The timing with an allegation coming the first week that the school is closed(for all) feels like this happened to an all day full year child. Without wanting to know the accused or victim, it would be helpful to know which children could have been exposed to this allegation. WHC is no different than most preschools where the all day program has less oversight, less structure putting those children with working parents lower on the preschool food-chain. They pay the most but get the least value per hour.

Don’t lump Washington Hebrew in with all preschools. The full day program at the Gan has arguably more structure than the half day program and the oversight is top notch as well.

Are there openings at the Gan this year for all-day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The timing with an allegation coming the first week that the school is closed(for all) feels like this happened to an all day full year child. Without wanting to know the accused or victim, it would be helpful to know which children could have been exposed to this allegation. WHC is no different than most preschools where the all day program has less oversight, less structure putting those children with working parents lower on the preschool food-chain. They pay the most but get the least value per hour.

Don’t lump Washington Hebrew in with all preschools. The full day program at the Gan has arguably more structure than the half day program and the oversight is top notch as well.

Are there openings at the Gan this year for all-day?

I don't know, but you could call and ask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The timing with an allegation coming the first week that the school is closed(for all) feels like this happened to an all day full year child. Without wanting to know the accused or victim, it would be helpful to know which children could have been exposed to this allegation. WHC is no different than most preschools where the all day program has less oversight, less structure putting those children with working parents lower on the preschool food-chain. They pay the most but get the least value per hour.

Don’t lump Washington Hebrew in with all preschools. The full day program at the Gan has arguably more structure than the half day program and the oversight is top notch as well.

Are there openings at the Gan this year for all-day?

Not sure, but you could call and find out. The new school year starts the day after labor day.

[Anonymous]

This is first-hand knowledge of the allegations, which are extremely serious. In order to protect the integrity of the investigation, law enforcement has requested that affected families not share information on the specifics of the allegations. The following information is meant to complement what was shared at the meeting last night in dealing with what is actually known to the authorities and the preschool about the circulating allegations.

Here is what is understood to have occurred. A family was speaking in an ordinary conversation one has with their child about inappropriate touching and boundaries that should be maintained. In that context, the child divulged information about a pattern of inappropriate touching and behavior from the teacher in question and who has now been put on administrative leave. The parents reported it to the school and then reached out to another family whose child was mentioned by their child. When that family had a conversation with their child, even more information was revealed about what that teacher was inappropriately doing. It appears that this abusive behavior was made possible by the teacher's use of intimidating language and “grooming.” Both families reported the sexual abuse allegations separately to the preschool and law enforcement, and informed them of the mention of other specific children.

In addition to the reporting of the potential sexual abuse inflicted upon these two children to the authorities and the preschool, as noted, there has been mention by these children of others potentially having been subjected to the misconduct of this teacher. Moreover, there obviously are many more children who were at least exposed to this teacher, both during the 2017-2018 school year and during camp. It is unknown whether all of these families have been contacted yet or at all by law enforcement, as law enforcement says they would be doing.

A child might not offer this information without some inquiry, and just watching for signs can go on for years. A therapist can best advise parents how to address the potential for abuse of one’s child so as to find out if the child has been molested in any way. To also investigate whether one’s child was in harm’s way by being exposed to this teacher, families might want to consider reaching out to the temple and law enforcement to demand resources on how to at least initiate an inquiry with their children since it would seem that other children could have been affected by this teacher. Because the teacher has been with the school since 2016, it is very plausible that other children may have been harmed.

Certainly, at a minimum, families should speak with law enforcement if they suspect their child may have been harmed. If you have concern, even if you don’t have concrete evidence, please at least seek advice from a therapist to get some direction on how to proceed in your child’s best interests. It is apparently very important to intervene early with children in overcoming the trauma caused by sexual abuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is first-hand knowledge of the allegations, which are extremely serious. In order to protect the integrity of the investigation, law enforcement has requested that affected families not share information on the specifics of the allegations. The following information is meant to complement what was shared at the meeting last night in dealing with what is actually known to the authorities and the preschool about the circulating allegations.

Here is what is understood to have occurred. A family was speaking in an ordinary conversation one has with their child about inappropriate touching and boundaries that should be maintained. In that context, the child divulged information about a pattern of inappropriate touching and behavior from the teacher in question and who has now been put on administrative leave. The parents reported it to the school and then reached out to another family whose child was mentioned by their child. When that family had a conversation with their child, even more information was revealed about what that teacher was inappropriately doing. It appears that this abusive behavior was made possible by the teacher's use of intimidating language and “grooming.” Both families reported the sexual abuse allegations separately to the preschool and law enforcement, and informed them of the mention of other specific children.

In addition to the reporting of the potential sexual abuse inflicted upon these two children to the authorities and the preschool, as noted, there has been mention by these children of others potentially having been subjected to the misconduct of this teacher. Moreover, there obviously are many more children who were at least exposed to this teacher, both during the 2017-2018 school year and during camp. It is unknown whether all of these families have been contacted yet or at all by law enforcement, as law enforcement says they would be doing.

A child might not offer this information without some inquiry, and just watching for signs can go on for years. A therapist can best advise parents how to address the potential for abuse of one’s child so as to find out if the child has been molested in any way. To also investigate whether one’s child was in harm’s way by being exposed to this teacher, families might want to consider reaching out to the temple and law enforcement to demand resources on how to at least initiate an inquiry with their children since it would seem that other children could have been affected by this teacher. Because the teacher has been with the school since 2016, it is very plausible that other children may have been harmed.

Certainly, at a minimum, families should speak with law enforcement if they suspect their child may have been harmed. If you have concern, even if you don’t have concrete evidence, please at least seek advice from a therapist to get some direction on how to proceed in your child’s best interests. It is apparently very important to intervene early with children in overcoming the trauma caused by sexual abuse.

Scholl leaders were adamant last night they they only knew of one child. Does that mean they were lying in your opinion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has been very painful for me as my children have attended the school since 2014. We have loved the teachers and their support of our children and family; we have learned so much about the importance of play-based learning under the direction of the director. I can attest that my kids are flourishing after moving on to elementary school, showing me that we made the right decision attending the school. I have been a room parent, and helped with school functions, attended "coffee talks" with the director. I am very involved. This accusation doesn't sound like any of the employees I know. I am praying there has been a giant misunderstanding.

The school is being as transparent as it can be: they sent emails to staff, parents, and members of the congregation (believe me, I've asked everyone who has had any connection to the synagogue). They had the townhall. I agree that I want to know the gender of the adult, the gender of the child, and what exactly the alleged did. But before the investigation is complete, they cannot give us that information.

I stand by WHC for what they have given to me and my family and I hope we can find peace and a resolution soon.

What’s odd is the frequent mention that nothing will be said until the investigation is over. Seems in many other cases at other organizations one usually hears quite a different statement. Usually it’s more a request for anyone else to come forward with information should this be a pattern. This is far less transparent than what one expects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is first-hand knowledge of the allegations, which are extremely serious. In order to protect the integrity of the investigation, law enforcement has requested that affected families not share information on the specifics of the allegations. The following information is meant to complement what was shared at the meeting last night in dealing with what is actually known to the authorities and the preschool about the circulating allegations.

Here is what is understood to have occurred. A family was speaking in an ordinary conversation one has with their child about inappropriate touching and boundaries that should be maintained. In that context, the child divulged information about a pattern of inappropriate touching and behavior from the teacher in question and who has now been put on administrative leave. The parents reported it to the school and then reached out to another family whose child was mentioned by their child. When that family had a conversation with their child, even more information was revealed about what that teacher was inappropriately doing. It appears that this abusive behavior was made possible by the teacher's use of intimidating language and “grooming.” Both families reported the sexual abuse allegations separately to the preschool and law enforcement, and informed them of the mention of other specific children.

In addition to the reporting of the potential sexual abuse inflicted upon these two children to the authorities and the preschool, as noted, there has been mention by these children of others potentially having been subjected to the misconduct of this teacher. Moreover, there obviously are many more children who were at least exposed to this teacher, both during the 2017-2018 school year and during camp. It is unknown whether all of these families have been contacted yet or at all by law enforcement, as law enforcement says they would be doing.

A child might not offer this information without some inquiry, and just watching for signs can go on for years. A therapist can best advise parents how to address the potential for abuse of one’s child so as to find out if the child has been molested in any way. To also investigate whether one’s child was in harm’s way by being exposed to this teacher, families might want to consider reaching out to the temple and law enforcement to demand resources on how to at least initiate an inquiry with their children since it would seem that other children could have been affected by this teacher. Because the teacher has been with the school since 2016, it is very plausible that other children may have been harmed.

Certainly, at a minimum, families should speak with law enforcement if they suspect their child may have been harmed. If you have concern, even if you don’t have concrete evidence, please at least seek advice from a therapist to get some direction on how to proceed in your child’s best interests. It is apparently very important to intervene early with children in overcoming the trauma caused by sexual abuse.

Scholl leaders were adamant last night they they only knew of one child. Does that mean they were lying in your opinion?

Yes, they are lying. They are aware of an inappropriate incident with my child at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is first-hand knowledge of the allegations, which are extremely serious. In order to protect the integrity of the investigation, law enforcement has requested that affected families not share information on the specifics of the allegations. The following information is meant to complement what was shared at the meeting last night in dealing with what is actually known to the authorities and the preschool about the circulating allegations.

Here is what is understood to have occurred. A family was speaking in an ordinary conversation one has with their child about inappropriate touching and boundaries that should be maintained. In that context, the child divulged information about a pattern of inappropriate touching and behavior from the teacher in question and who has now been put on administrative leave. The parents reported it to the school and then reached out to another family whose child was mentioned by their child. When that family had a conversation with their child, even more information was revealed about what that teacher was inappropriately doing. It appears that this abusive behavior was made possible by the teacher's use of intimidating language and “grooming.” Both families reported the sexual abuse allegations separately to the preschool and law enforcement, and informed them of the mention of other specific children.

In addition to the reporting of the potential sexual abuse inflicted upon these two children to the authorities and the preschool, as noted, there has been mention by these children of others potentially having been subjected to the misconduct of this teacher. Moreover, there obviously are many more children who were at least exposed to this teacher, both during the 2017-2018 school year and during camp. It is unknown whether all of these families have been contacted yet or at all by law enforcement, as law enforcement says they would be doing.

A child might not offer this information without some inquiry, and just watching for signs can go on for years. A therapist can best advise parents how to address the potential for abuse of one’s child so as to find out if the child has been molested in any way. To also investigate whether one’s child was in harm’s way by being exposed to this teacher, families might want to consider reaching out to the temple and law enforcement to demand resources on how to at least initiate an inquiry with their children since it would seem that other children could have been affected by this teacher. Because the teacher has been with the school since 2016, it is very plausible that other children may have been harmed.

Certainly, at a minimum, families should speak with law enforcement if they suspect their child may have been harmed. If you have concern, even if you don’t have concrete evidence, please at least seek advice from a therapist to get some direction on how to proceed in your child’s best interests. It is apparently very important to intervene early with children in overcoming the trauma caused by sexual abuse.

Scholl leaders were adamant last night they they only knew of one child. Does that mean they were lying in your opinion?

Yes, they are lying. They are aware of an inappropriate incident with my child at school.

I'm so sorry, PP.