A Jewish day school in Riverdale that has been accused of sexual abuse multiple times, including cases in February 2020 and others in 2019, has another case on its hands.
On Aug. 24, Marsh Law Firm filed a lawsuit on behalf of Thomas Eckmann against Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy (SAR) at 655 West 254th St. The lawsuit alleged that Eckmann was sexually abused by one of its assistant principals, teachers and school administrators, Stanley Rosenfeld and one of its teachers and rabbis, Rabbi Sheldon Schwartz, all while the school failed to protect him.
“We have to show that the institution acted unreasonably,” said Jennifer Freeman, a lawyer with Marsh. “I try to look at the positive that we’re really affecting valuable change for the people.”
Freeman said that since the Child Victim Act was passed last year, the number of reported cases have skyrocketed.