Sexual Allegations against CCAR VP – Shoots Ethics Crisis to Catastrophic Levels |
The Follow Clearly Demonstrates Why Independent Outsiders Must Investigate Rabbinic Misconduct
Anglican Watch’s most recent article titled, “CCAR’s ethics credibility crisis deepens: “Why is Rabbi Jeremy Barras still on CCAR board despite allegations of sexual harassment?” is the final straw, permanently destroying the credibility of the movement. The text documentation attached to the article, along with other stated documentation leaves nothing left to question.
The following statements from the Anglican Watch articles are shocking and if true, leave room for nothing short of mass resignations and ethics oversight in the Reform Movement:
In fact, Anglican Watch has confirmed that since October, 2024, multiple victims have filed complaints with NYSDHR alleging harassment by CCAR employees, board members, and volunteers.
CCAR continued shielding senior leadership and member rabbis while aggressively policing complainant’s communications and forbidding complainants to seek help from other organizations while refusing to stop criminal harassment.
Documents clearly show that CCAR told witnesses they may not ” go to other organizations for help. ” Such behavior is, per se, unethical and runs counter to any notion of good governance or moral behavior.
In this vein, multiple people who objected to Terlinchamp’s conduct report that the CCAR threatened them, telling them that if they told anyone or sought help from other organizations, the CCAR would stop investigating.
CCAR forced victims to give CCAR lists of who they had spoken to. Anglican Watch has obtained CCAR communications substantiating these allegation.
Nor were these idle threats, as CCAR did exactly that when these victims went to authorities, prompting multiple attorneys general to initiate investigations into CCAR, URJ, and Hebrew Union College.
In January of 2023, CCAR inadvertently released the following video of the 2023 Ethics Chair, Rabbi Ana Bonnheim, admitting that the organization threatens victims and complainants, saying that if they don’t stay silent, CCAR may not adjudicate their cases.
Victims allege that CCAR employees and volunteers threatened, harassed, discredited, isolated, or retaliated against them for filing complaints (against CCAR)
Of the victims that Anglican Watch has interviewed so far, all allege that CCAR leadership has never made any attempt to contact them to gather information or conduct meaningful internal inquiries regarding harassment allegations (against CCAR staff, board or volunteer members).
Anglican Watch has obtained copies of the text messages and NYSDHR complaint filed against Rabbi Jeremy Barras, as well as copies of emails containing the texts, sent directly to CCAR’s CEO, Rabbi Hara Person; Current Board President, Rabbi David Lyon; and Past President, Rabbi Erica Asch
The victim stated she felt that as a rabbi, she had to tolerate his behavior for ” fear of retaliation and the risk of being........