Rabbi Bodkins' Legal Help Fund
Donation protected
HELP TURN OUR WORDS OF SUPPORT INTO ACTION OF SUPPORT!
The Bodkins family has been through unimaginable travails and can no longer fight alone the battle of injustice that has been brought upon them. Rabbi Bodkins was completely exonerated by the secular judicial system (criminal and civil) for improper acts allegedly committed in a Pennsylvania summer camp 10 years ago. He received an unambiguous endorsement from our esteemed Rabbis here for his dedicated and unblemished service to the children of our community. Yet, there are disturbed people with maligned motives at web sites and blogs who continue to cast aspersions against Rabbi Bodkins -- and are causing irreparable harm to him and his family. As motivated as we all are to help and support organizations and causes that bring those who harm our children to justice, we must put forth equal, if not greater, effort to support those who are innocent but are being persecuted in the supposed name of "justice."
The funds collected through this campaign will be used for the Bodkins' necessary legal expenses to clear his name from defamation -- including attorney fees, filing fees, subpoenas, depositions, transcripts, summonses, process servers, printing, etc., etc., etc. The attorneys working on this case are all doing so at significantly discounted fees. However, out-of-pocket costs add up and must be paid immediately to outside vendors.
We must send a message to those perpetrating this egregious lynch-mob that the Bodkins' support is strong and that we stand behind them with all the financial support that is needed to stop this fabricated assault against Rabbi Bodkins' character.
The Bodkins need our help. Every dollar counts. Let's not just speak our support. Let's GIVE our support. Together, we can right a terrible wrong and save a family from further anguish. You will also help protect other teachers and Rabbis from unsupported smear campaigns that threaten to keep great people from pursuing a much needed profession for us and our children!
BACKGROUND & SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Rabbi Yisroel Bodkins and his wife, Rivkah, have been forced to file a lawsuit against an Internet blog that has whipped up a frenzied lynch mob here in South Florida. They have also listed 10 to-be-identified-and-named "Ploni" defendants (Jewish "John Does"), whom they believe will ultimately be shown to have intentionally or recklessly contributed to the witch-hunt.
According to the Complaint "[i]f these Defendants' outrageous and unlawful conduct is permitted without rebuke or consequences, it would encourage others to engage in such reprehensible misconduct, too. And then no teacher would be safe."
In the interest of getting all facts into the open, rather than dealing with smoke, distortions and innuendo, formal "discovery requests" were made of the blog owner. Formal questions, known as "interrogatories," were posed, among other things, as to the identity of the authors of anonymous slanderous "comments." "Document requests" were also served with the Complaint, seeking, among other things, all documents and e-mails sent to and received from the blog owner in connection with her articles, statements and posted "comments" about Rabbi Bodkins.
But there were obviously more people involved than just the blog owner. Unfortunately, there was much underground, often-anonymous rumor mongering taking place in our communities. So a number of proposed court subpoenas were prepared and are in the process of being served. The Bodkins' lawyers believe this is a good start to find out the source of some of the negative statements that have flooded our community and the Internet. Soon , they hope, it will be clear who said and wrote what to whom. At a later date, depositions may be taken to find out WHY.
So this is all only the beginning. As documents are received and key people identified, more subpoenas will likely need to be issued -- until, with your and G-d's help, all persons who contributed to this horrible situation face justice themselves.
The Bodkins family has been through unimaginable travails and can no longer fight alone the battle of injustice that has been brought upon them. Rabbi Bodkins was completely exonerated by the secular judicial system (criminal and civil) for improper acts allegedly committed in a Pennsylvania summer camp 10 years ago. He received an unambiguous endorsement from our esteemed Rabbis here for his dedicated and unblemished service to the children of our community. Yet, there are disturbed people with maligned motives at web sites and blogs who continue to cast aspersions against Rabbi Bodkins -- and are causing irreparable harm to him and his family. As motivated as we all are to help and support organizations and causes that bring those who harm our children to justice, we must put forth equal, if not greater, effort to support those who are innocent but are being persecuted in the supposed name of "justice."
The funds collected through this campaign will be used for the Bodkins' necessary legal expenses to clear his name from defamation -- including attorney fees, filing fees, subpoenas, depositions, transcripts, summonses, process servers, printing, etc., etc., etc. The attorneys working on this case are all doing so at significantly discounted fees. However, out-of-pocket costs add up and must be paid immediately to outside vendors.
We must send a message to those perpetrating this egregious lynch-mob that the Bodkins' support is strong and that we stand behind them with all the financial support that is needed to stop this fabricated assault against Rabbi Bodkins' character.
The Bodkins need our help. Every dollar counts. Let's not just speak our support. Let's GIVE our support. Together, we can right a terrible wrong and save a family from further anguish. You will also help protect other teachers and Rabbis from unsupported smear campaigns that threaten to keep great people from pursuing a much needed profession for us and our children!
BACKGROUND & SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Rabbi Yisroel Bodkins and his wife, Rivkah, have been forced to file a lawsuit against an Internet blog that has whipped up a frenzied lynch mob here in South Florida. They have also listed 10 to-be-identified-and-named "Ploni" defendants (Jewish "John Does"), whom they believe will ultimately be shown to have intentionally or recklessly contributed to the witch-hunt.
According to the Complaint "[i]f these Defendants' outrageous and unlawful conduct is permitted without rebuke or consequences, it would encourage others to engage in such reprehensible misconduct, too. And then no teacher would be safe."
In the interest of getting all facts into the open, rather than dealing with smoke, distortions and innuendo, formal "discovery requests" were made of the blog owner. Formal questions, known as "interrogatories," were posed, among other things, as to the identity of the authors of anonymous slanderous "comments." "Document requests" were also served with the Complaint, seeking, among other things, all documents and e-mails sent to and received from the blog owner in connection with her articles, statements and posted "comments" about Rabbi Bodkins.
But there were obviously more people involved than just the blog owner. Unfortunately, there was much underground, often-anonymous rumor mongering taking place in our communities. So a number of proposed court subpoenas were prepared and are in the process of being served. The Bodkins' lawyers believe this is a good start to find out the source of some of the negative statements that have flooded our community and the Internet. Soon , they hope, it will be clear who said and wrote what to whom. At a later date, depositions may be taken to find out WHY.
So this is all only the beginning. As documents are received and key people identified, more subpoenas will likely need to be issued -- until, with your and G-d's help, all persons who contributed to this horrible situation face justice themselves.
Organizer
Ari Lieberman
Organizer
