Is SCHI really all about the kids? Bergmann

Randy Bergmann | Asbury Park Press

Show Caption Hide Caption VIDEO: Judge rejects Lakewood school founder's requests to quash subpoenas Rabbi Osher Eisemann founder of The School for Children with Hidden Intelligence in Lakewood returned to Middlesex County court to challenge several aspects of alleged theft and corruption charges.

The attorney for School for Children with Hidden Intelligence founder Rabbi Osher Eisemann, who has been charged with stealing nearly $1 million in public school funds, was in court Thursday arguing that the publicity surrounding the case is hurting the school’s children.

Nice try. But fortunately, and predictably, the judge wasn't biting on the “it’s all about the kids card.”

In a two-hour court hearing, attorney Lee Vartan asked a Superior Court Judge to quash subpoenas for additional digital accounting and employment records from the foundation and the school and to discipline the state Attorney General’s Office for sending out a press release that detailed the theft and corruption allegations against Eisemann.

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Vartan not only played the kids card but name-dropped to try to soften up the judge. He pointed out that governors and other politicians have contributed to SCHI. That group includes Gov. Phil Murphy, whose state attorney general is bringing the case against Eisemann. Murphy has contributed tens of thousands of dollars to SCHI, a Lakewood school for children with special needs.

I’m not sure what Murphy's donations had to do with the price of eggs. But, if anything, it would seem to be even more damning for Eisemann and the SCHI foundation: The A.G. went after Eisemann even though Murphy had been a major donor to the school.

Eisemann was first charged in March 2017 for allegedly stealing $630,000 in public tuition money and faced five to 10 years in prison. But a new indictment in April alleges he stole $979,000. He is charged with stealing $450,000 to pay back taxes, $317,000 for a private business venture and $200,000 from "undetermined sources" that Eisemann used to make it look like he was using his own money to repay debts he owed to SCHI.

Vartan bemoaned that donations to the school, which receives about $22 million in funding from Lakewood’s public schools each year, had fallen off after the attorney general put out its press release on Eisemann’s April indictment in the case.

“Some individuals who gave every year are no longer giving at all,” Vartan said. “Some have reduced.”

Gee, wonder why? In response to my email inquiry about the role Eisemann plays with SCHI today, Vartan replied, "The Rabbi is playing no day-to-day role at SCHI. Instead, he continues to focus his efforts on raising money for the School and its related programs." Given the charges against Eisemann, does it really make sense for him to be holding his hand out for contributions when he's the reason the donations have dried up?

Eisemann should fully sever all ties to SCHI and make that known to potential benefactors and the public alike. Then, maybe, more donations will start flowing back in.

Perhaps Eisemann will eventually be proven innocent. But in the meantime, if Vartan and Eisemann are that concerned about the kids, it would make more sense for Eisemann to turn SCHI over to someone else rather than trying to quell negative publicity and fighting the disclosure of documents germane to the case.

Randy Bergmann: rbergmann@app.com; 732-643-4034; @appopinion.