A Washington, D.C., synagogue will pay nearly $1 million in a lawsuit that accuses it of violating child care safety laws.
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) for the District of Columbia sued Washington Hebrew Congregation in 2020 following an investigation into the synagogue’s early childhood care program. The investigation and subsequent lawsuit came after allegations surfaced in 2018 that an assistant teacher at the synagogue’s day care center had sexually abused students during a summer program. D.C.'s attorney general's office said a total of 14 families reported allegations of abuse.
In September of this year, a court ruled that Washington Hebrew Congregation was liable for several violations, including:
- operating unlicensed summer programs
- placing children in the care of unqualified staff members
- failure to adequately report incidents of harm to children
"They were also hiring unqualified teachers," said Jennifer Jones, a deputy attorney general familiar with the case. "In fact, we alleged in our complaint that the teacher that these allegations were brought against was one of those unqualified teachers."
The office of D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine announced the nearly $1 million settlement Wednesday.
"Instead of protecting the children under their care, Washington Hebrew disregarded the law and failed to report incidents of harm, hired unqualified teachers, and ran an unlicensed summer childcare center for years," Racine said in a news release. "Today, we’re holding them accountable for putting D.C.’s youngest, most vulnerable residents in harm’s way.”
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As a result of the settlement, WHC will pay $950,000; of that amount, $300,000 will go to families who were enrolled in summer programs between 2016 and 2018. Another $100,000 will go to a D.C. charity. The rest is for civil penalties.
Washington Hebrew Congregation (WHC) stated in part, "The settlement specifically stated that WHC denies liability for the OAG’s allegations, but settling now allows WHC to avoid continued, protracted, and costly litigation...." It goes on to say, "[O]ccurring nearly four and a half years ago, the violations were administrative in nature. Not one was related to the supervision or alleged abuse of children."
The assistant teacher, who was employed at the center from about March 2016 to August 2018, was never criminally charged.
The full Washington Hebrew Congregation statement is below:
Washington Hebrew Congregation (WHC) and the D.C. Office of the Attorney General (OAG) have reached an agreement to settle a lawsuit brought by the Attorney General in 2020 that fully resolves all of its claims. The settlement specifically stated that WHC denies liability for the OAG’s allegations, but settling now allows WHC to avoid continued, protracted, and costly litigation.
The lawsuit asserted WHC’s Edlavitch-Tyser Early Childhood Center and Camp Keetov had not followed certain regulations established by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).
It is important to note that, occurring nearly four and a half years ago, the violations were administrative in nature. Not one was related to the supervision or alleged abuse of children.
In an earlier ruling on the OAG’s claims, the Court specifically found that WHC had already remedied the alleged administrative violations.
The Court stated: “[S]ince the alleged violations, WHC has implemented OSSE’s Corrective Action Plan, OSSE issued a license in May 2019 for WHC to operate a year-round facility, and OSSE inspection reports in 2020 and 2021 indicate that WHC has complied with OSSE regulations.”
WHC President Lewis Wiener shared, “We are pleased that Washington Hebrew Congregation and the D.C. Attorney General have reached an agreement and that a significant portion of the settlement funds will go to a D.C. charity and families whose children attended Camp Keetov in 2016, 2017, and 2018. We’re proud of our Edlavitch-Tyser Early Childhood Center and its educators, who provide a warm, engaging environment where children can feel safe as they discover the world around them.
“The same values we hold in high regard as adults — kindness, compassion, and community — are part of the very foundation of our early childhood centers.” He continued, “The settlement with the D.C. OAG allows Washington Hebrew Congregation to close this chapter and move forward. Under outstanding new spiritual and administrative leadership, WHC can continue to grow as a warm, welcoming community, open to all who wish to build a meaningful Jewish life.”
