Community disagreement over child abuse conviction of ex-teacher

William Zev Steen, a former STEM teacher at a private Jewish school in Baltimore City, was sentenced to 23 years in prison on charges of child pornography and sexual exploitation.

Steen was originally charged at the state level, but federal prosecutors have since intervened.

According to the prosecutor’s sentencing memo, several prominent members of the Baltimore Jewish community are supporting Steen.

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“It is obviously not clear from these statements whether all of these individuals are aware of the full extent of the suspect’s criminal conduct here,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The memo shows that Steen and his wife informed Rabbi Shraga Neuberger, a rabbi at Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, about the behavior in 2013, after which he referred the couple to a counselor.

That counselor, Yehuda Bergman, is a registered drama therapist but is not licensed or trained in dealing with sexual abuse or trauma.

Neither Bergman nor Neuberger filed a police report, “explaining the consequences would be too difficult for (redacted victim).”

The victim had another care provider, Laura Greer, for a few years, but did not disclose the nature and extent of the trauma they had suffered.

Rabbi Mordecai Shuchatowitz, the rabbi of the Synagogue of Agudath of Greenspring and the “Av Bais Din” or head of the rabbinical court in Baltimore, asked the judge for leniency toward Steen.

“Shuchatowitz suggests that Steen’s ‘addiction’ (referring to his interest in child pornography) is ‘because of something unfortunate in (his) life.’ Shuchatowitz claims that Steen did not produce, collect and distribute child pornography because he wanted to see ‘inappropriate material.’ Instead, he claims that Steen did so because something ‘nagged’ or ‘bothered’ him,” the prosecutor’s memo states.

Shuchatowitz calls Steen a “very good person” and hopes he gets the chance to be with his family and community again.

ZA’AKAH, an organization that is fiscally supported by SNAP (the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests) and which advocates for survivors of child sexual abuse in the Orthodox Jewish community, is asking the judge to unseat the letters in support of Steen.

The judge ruled Monday that the defense’s redaction of the letters in support of Steen was too broad, and said the names of community leaders would likely not be able to be redacted at a later date.

Steen’s defense team asked the judge to sentence him to the mandatory minimum of 15 years, arguing that his family, many of whom came to court to support him, still need it. it.

His family, including his mother, wife, brother and one of his children, all spoke to the judge in support of the mandatory minimum sentence.

His attorneys argued he poses no danger to the community.

The judge disagreed.

“This is a very sad case,” Judge Stephanie Gallagher said, adding that “this is not a single victim case.”

The sentence of 23 years was also lower than the 28 years that the Public Prosecution Service had demanded.

Steen had many family members who supported him in court.

However, a Google Document petition, created by a member of the Jewish community, is circulating, calling for the resignation of leaders who appeared to have covered up the abuse.

As of Monday afternoon, the petition has 193 signatures from the Baltimore Jewish community calling for the resignation of Rabbi Neuberger, Yehuda Bergman, Rabbi Schuatowitz and Laura Greer.