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January 5, 2001/Tevet 17, 5761, Vol. 53, No.14
Orthodox Union pledges to revamp procedures
JULIE WIENER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
NEW YORK - The umbrella organization for nearly 1,000 American Orthodox synagogues is promising change in the wake of a long-awaited report highly critical of the movement's handling of complaints about the sexual abuse of teenagers.
The talk of change - along with an apology for past mistakes - came in response to the report, released Dec. 26, critiquing the Orthodox Union's failure to discipline a high-ranking staff member who for years allegedly sexually harassed and molested teenagers in its youth group.
The group says it is beginning a "review of its leadership" and will revamp its management and governance.
The 54-page public report is a summary of a much longer document culminating from a four-month investigation by special commission appointed by the O.U. The O.U. is keeping that document under wraps, which includes names of victims and details of the alleged misconduct as well as what O.U. officials "knew or should have known" about Lanner.
The commission, headed by Richard Joel, the president of Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, was appointed last summer following a series of articles that appeared in the New York Jewish Week about Rabbi Baruch Lanner, a longtime professional with the Orthodox movement's youth group, the National Conference of Synagogue Youth.
The Jewish Week articles, based on interviews with more than 12 former NCSY members, told of Lanner kissing and fondling scores of teenage girls, repeatedly kicking boys in the groin, wielding a knife against a young man and propositioning girls.
The sources, many of whom allowed their names to be published, told the Jewish Week they were angry and frustrated at the O.U.'s failure to act on complaints about Lanner's behavior.
Lanner, a charismatic figure with a reputation for being able to spark enthusiasm for traditional Jewish observance, resigned the day after the article was published and refused to be interviewed by the special commission.
Approximately 40,000 teens and children participate in NCSY activities.
The commission report, based on interviews with 175 people, finds Lanner guilty of several kinds of abuse and asserts that "certain members of the O.U. and NCSY leadership share responsibility for Lanner's misconduct," which occurred over a period of 30 years.
It also urges the O.U. to "hold individuals who failed to take action against Lanner responsible for their conduct," but does not specify how.
Among the key findings:
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The O.U. and NCSY had direct knowledge of Lanner's sexual abuse of girls, yet the professional leadership failed to communicate critical information to lay leaders.
Senior O.U. and NCSY professionals "misrepresented" findings of a 1989 rabbinical court ruling on Lanner's behavior, inaccurately telling people that the ruling served as a mandate for Lanner to continue his employment and that his behavior was being monitored by the rabbinical court.
The O.U. and NCSY lost objectivity in evaluating Lanner because of a "perception that he was indispensable" and because of his "personal relationships with management." In addition, the O.U. and NCSY "failed to foster an environment in which students and advisors felt free to report misconduct without suffering retribution."
The O.U. appointed a 13-member committee to review the report and recommend how to implement it, said the O.U.'s outgoing president, Dr. Mandell Ganchrow.
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