NEW YORK
The Journal News
Written by
Steve Lieberman
SPRING VALLEY — A religious school principal pleaded not guilty Thursday to misdemeanor charges of slapping a young male student hard enough to leave swelling and bruises to his eye, ear and face.
Rabbi Meilech Spitzer, once the principal at United Talmudical Academy in the village, stood for arraignment before Justice Alan Simon on misdemeanor counts of third-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. He entered the plea through his lawyer, Robert Conklin.
While Spitzer made his first appearance since being arrested by Spring Valley police in February, the future of the prosecution remains cloudy.
The Rockland District Attorney’s Office needs a signed complaint by the 10-year-old boy to prosecute the rabbi. Without the signed affidavit, the case amounts to hearsay based upon the police investigation and prosecutor Eric Holzer cannot move forward, District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said.
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