Embattled Lakewood rabbi steps down from controversial school
LAKEWOOD--The founder and director of
a Lakewood school for children with special needs has stepped down from
the institution, months after he was indicted on charges of stealing
more than $630,000 in public money from the school.
The School for Children with Hidden Intelligence announced Tuesday that Rabbi Osher Eisemann is taking a leave of absence in order to deal with the case being brought against him by the state.
"It is with sincere regret that I voluntarily will take a leave of absence from the institution to which I have devoted my life for over 22 years," Eisemann said in a statement. "Regrettably, baseless allegations made against me have resulted in this decision."
According to the state attorney general's office, Eisemann is accused
of using a fundraising foundation, Services for Hidden Intelligence, to
siphon $430,000 in operating funds from the school to invest in the
now-defunct clothing company, known as TAZ Apparel, LLC.
He is also accused of transferring another $200,000 belonging to the school through a series of bank accounts into a personal account and then back into the school's coffers "to create the false appearance that he was using personal funds from independent sources to repay debts he owed to the school."
Eisemann pleaded not guilty in April to the charges against him and had previously indicated that he would remain in charge of the school, which he founded in a Lakewood strip mall in 1995. It has since moved to a modern, multi-building campus on Oak Street and enrolls hundreds of children.
SCHI (pronounced "shy") is regarded as one of the prominent private special-education schools in New Jersey and it's also one of the most expensive.
Lakewood's public school district paid more than $20 million for students to attend SCHI in the 2016-17 school year, according to district officials.
With Eisemann stepping down, James Delaney, SCHI's principal, will take over as interim director.
"Even though Director Eisemann has not been accused by the state attorney general of appropriating SCHI funds for personal use, Director Eisemann has once again put the interests of our students first so that the school may move on from these scurrilous allegations," Delaney said in a statement.
Eisemann's decision to step down comes as his legal battle is ramping up. Last week, Eisemann's attorney asked the state to throw out the evidence against the rabbi found when the state raided six locations in the Lakewood area in 2016.
"I think they have real issues here," said Lee Vartan, Eisemann's attorney, about the evidence collected in those searches. Vartan says the search warrants were too general and they allege wrongdoing they say happened years ago.
The state is expected to respond to Vartan's motion to suppress the evidence on Sept. 8. The motion and the state's response will be heard in state Superior Court in Middlesex County on Sept. 29.
Payton Guion may be reached at PGuion@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaytonGuion. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
http://www.nj.com/ocean/index.ssf/2017/08/indicted_lakewood_rabbi_steps_down_from_special-ed.html
The School for Children with Hidden Intelligence announced Tuesday that Rabbi Osher Eisemann is taking a leave of absence in order to deal with the case being brought against him by the state.
"It is with sincere regret that I voluntarily will take a leave of absence from the institution to which I have devoted my life for over 22 years," Eisemann said in a statement. "Regrettably, baseless allegations made against me have resulted in this decision."
Authorities say Rabbi Osher Eisemann was laundering money meant for special needs kids at private school.
He is also accused of transferring another $200,000 belonging to the school through a series of bank accounts into a personal account and then back into the school's coffers "to create the false appearance that he was using personal funds from independent sources to repay debts he owed to the school."
Eisemann pleaded not guilty in April to the charges against him and had previously indicated that he would remain in charge of the school, which he founded in a Lakewood strip mall in 1995. It has since moved to a modern, multi-building campus on Oak Street and enrolls hundreds of children.
SCHI (pronounced "shy") is regarded as one of the prominent private special-education schools in New Jersey and it's also one of the most expensive.
Lakewood's public school district paid more than $20 million for students to attend SCHI in the 2016-17 school year, according to district officials.
With Eisemann stepping down, James Delaney, SCHI's principal, will take over as interim director.
"Even though Director Eisemann has not been accused by the state attorney general of appropriating SCHI funds for personal use, Director Eisemann has once again put the interests of our students first so that the school may move on from these scurrilous allegations," Delaney said in a statement.
Eisemann's decision to step down comes as his legal battle is ramping up. Last week, Eisemann's attorney asked the state to throw out the evidence against the rabbi found when the state raided six locations in the Lakewood area in 2016.
"I think they have real issues here," said Lee Vartan, Eisemann's attorney, about the evidence collected in those searches. Vartan says the search warrants were too general and they allege wrongdoing they say happened years ago.
The state is expected to respond to Vartan's motion to suppress the evidence on Sept. 8. The motion and the state's response will be heard in state Superior Court in Middlesex County on Sept. 29.
Payton Guion may be reached at PGuion@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaytonGuion. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
http://www.nj.com/ocean/index.ssf/2017/08/indicted_lakewood_rabbi_steps_down_from_special-ed.html