A synagogue in Washington, D.C., is under scrutiny for alleged abuse towards several young boys and girls between the ages of 2 to 4.

Eight families have filed a civil lawsuit that says a teacher at Edlavitch Tyser Early Childhood Center has abused their children over the last two years. The suit also claims that the school head, Deborah Schneider Jensen. and the Washington Hebrew Congregation were warned about what was happening but did nothing.

The alleged abuser, Jordan Silverman, worked as an assistant teacher at the school since 2016. He began working at the school following a long career in Vermont as a photographer.

The lawsuit claims that the abuse happened between March 2016 and August 2018 on the preschool’s grounds. The suit also says that the abuse was among some of the most hurtful and damaging kinds of sexual abuse and was a regular occurrence, with Silverman targeting boys and girls.

Besides the abuse, the lawsuit also claims that Jensen and the school "allowed and encouraged" Silverman to spend time alone with the children while not around other adults were present. This means the school violated Washington, D.C.’s, "two-deep" policy that a child must be with two present adults while at development centers.

This isn’t the first time the Washington Hebrew Congregation preschool has been under fire for alleged abuse. The Washington Post published a story in August about the preschool being under investigation for sexual abuse claims.

The parents are suing for damages, including cost of medical, psychological and psychiatric evaluation, medicine, therapy, and loss of earnings and future earnings.

RELATED STORIES