RABBI ARRESTED
Rabbi accused of voyeurism is fired by synagogue
WASHINGTON (AP) β A rabbi who’s been charged with secretly videotaping at least six women in a ritual bath has been fired by his Washington D.C. synagogue.
The board of directors at Kesher Israel announced Monday that it has terminated Barry Freundel’s (froyn-DELZ’) contract.
Freundel had been suspended without pay since his arrest in October. He faces six counts of voyeurism after police found a clock radio with a hidden camera in the shower area of a women’s ritual bath, known as a mikvah.
The board says Freundel’s alleged actions constituted “a gross violation” of law, privacy and trust with far-reaching consequences. He’s due in court for a hearing next month.
Freundel will be required to leave the rabbinic residence by Jan. 1. He was the Orthodox synagogue’s rabbi for over 25 years.
Sound:
242-c-23-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor)-“over 25 years”-AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports that Rabbi Barry Freundel was suspended by his Washington D.C. synagogue after being charged with voyeurism in October. ((Freundel is pronounced FROYN’-dehl)) (1 Dec 2014)
< 209-v-31-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor)–A rabbi who’s been charged with secretly videotaping women in a ritual bath has been fired by his Washington D.C. synagogue. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (1 Dec 2014) < PASTOR-ADULTERY ACCUSATIONS Pastor accused of affairs fights to keep job MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) β An Alabama minister has returned to court in an effort to keep his job after confessing he had sex with church members without telling them he has AIDS. Circuit Judge Charles Price said Monday that he’ll rule within a week on whether the Rev. Juan McFarland can return to Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Montgomery or whether a temporary ban from the church will become permanent. McFarland’s attorney argued that the church approved bylaws in January 2013 giving him his job for life, and that a vote to fire him in October was improper. An attorney for the church’s deacons and trustees argued that McFarland pushed through the 2013 bylaws improperly and the October vote was valid. McFarland had served the church for 23 years before confessing to his congregation. Sound: 212-c-18-(Phillip Rawls, AP correspondent)-“go to church”-AP correspondent Phillip Rawls reports that the Reverend Juan McFarland’s church is in turmoil. (1 Dec 2014) < 211-c-09-(Phillip Rawls, AP correspondent)-“to fire him”-AP correspondent Phillip Rawls reports that the Reverend Juan McFarland maintains that his church can’t fire him for his admitted misconduct. (1 Dec 2014) < 210-c-10-(Phillip Rawls, AP correspondent)-“diagnosed with AIDS”-AP correspondent Phillip Rawls reports that an Alabama minister has gone to court to block being fired by his Montgomery church. (1 Dec 2014) < FIRED OVER FERTILIZATION Trial over teacher’s dismissal due Dec. 16 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) β A schoolteacher’s lawsuit over her dismissal by a northern Indiana Roman Catholic diocese can proceed to trial this month after a federal appeals court upheld the dismissal of an appeal by the defendants. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday upheld an order dismissing the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend’s appeal of a September ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Miller Jr. allowing Emily Herx’s lawsuit to go forward. The trial is due to begin Dec. 16. Herx claims she was dismissed at Fort Wayne St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School because she tried to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization, a process involving mixing egg and sperm in a laboratory dish that’s banned under Catholic doctrine. AUSTIN SHOOTING Police say Austin shooter harbored extremist views AUSTIN, Texas (AP) β Austin authorities say a man who shot at the police station and tried to burn the Mexican Consulate before he was killed harbored extremist right-wing views and appeared to be planning a broader attack against government buildings and churches. Police Chief Art Acevedo says Larry McQuilliams had multiple weapons, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, bottled water and a map of 34 downtown buildings police believe were potential targets in his attack the day after Thanksgiving. Police killed McQuilliams while he shot at police headquarters. Acevedo said Monday that the 49-year-old McQuilliams had a copy of “Vigilantes of Christendom” in his van. The 1990 book is associated with the Christian Identity movement known as the Phineas Priesthood, which espouses anti-Semitic and racist views. Investigators believe McQuilliams acted alone. DOCTOR DINO Trial changed for evangelist known as Doctor Dino PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) β The trial of a Florida evangelist known as Doctor Dino has been pushed back to January. Kent Hovind’s (HOH’-vindz) trial on charges of mail fraud and criminal contempt was set to begin Monday. The Pensacola News Journal reports that the trial was moved so that Hovind could be tried with a co-defendant. He received a 10-year federal prison sentence in 2006 on tax evasion charges. Hovind is known as Doctor Dino because he operated a Pensacola theme park and museum known as Dinosaur Adventure Land. The park was created to spread Hovind’s belief that humans and dinosaurs existed at the same time and that God created Earth 6,000 years ago in just six days. CHICAGO ARCHBISHOP-OBAMA Chicago archbishop talked immigration with Obama CHICAGO (AP) β Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich (BLAYZ’ SOO’-pich) says he met last week with President Barack Obama and the two discussed immigration reform. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Cupich described the presidential meeting Sunday during his homily at St. Agnes of Bohemia Church on the city’s Southwest Side. Cupich said he told the president that Obama’s executive action on immigration was a good “first step” toward immigration reform. The new head of Chicago’s archdiocese said he told Obama that the church is ready to help immigrants who no longer have to fear they’ll be deported. Cupich says they also discussed possible confidentiality provisions so that information from immigrants who register for the protection isn’t used against them in the future. Cupich was installed at the archdiocese’s new archbishop last month, making him the spiritual leader of more than 2 million Catholics. SUPREME COURT-JEHOVAH’S WITNESS-BLOOD Supreme Court rejects blood transfusion case WASHINGTON (AP) β The Supreme Court won’t hear an appeal from the estate of a Michigan woman who died following a kidney transplant after turning down a blood transfusion because of her religious beliefs. The justices on Monday let stand a state appeals court ruling that said the estate of Gwendolyn Rozier could not sue her doctors for negligence. Rozier received a kidney from her daughter in a 2007 surgery but doctors later found that her body was rejecting the organ. She refused a blood transfusion, in keeping with the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Rozier’s estate accused the doctors of failing to recognize internal bleeding, which would have eliminated the need for a transfusion. The Michigan appeals court said the transfusion recommended by the doctors was a necessary medical procedure under the circumstances. MENNONITE-DRUG CARTEL Mennonite sentenced in cartel drug smuggling case DENVER (AP) β In what prosecutors called a drug smuggling conspiracy between Mennonites and a Mexican drug cartel, a man has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for aiding the movement of tons of marijuana to the U.S. A judge in Colorado sentenced Abraham Friesen-Remple to time served as part of a plea deal he made in October. Prosecutors say he helped the Juarez cartel smuggle drugs in the gas tanks of cars and inside farm equipment. Friesen-Remple was one of seven people indicted, all but one of whom are members of the Mexican Mennonite community. Authorities say the operation moved to North Carolina after the arrest of a person who ran a Colorado Springs, Colorado, auto body shop involved in the case. Friesen-Remple pleaded guilty to using a telephone to facilitate the distribution of marijuana. NIGERIA-VIOLENCE Extremists attack 2 Nigerian state capitals BAUCHI, Nigeria (AP) β Nigerian officials say suspected Islamic extremists struck in two northeastern state capitals on Monday, killing at least seven people and wounding dozens with a deadly double bombing at a crowded market and an attack on a police base. Rescue workers were said to be evacuating the dead and wounded from the Maiduguri (my-DOO’-guh-ree) market, the same one where two female suicide bombers killed at least 70 people a week ago. A witness said Monday’s blasts were also set off by two girls. There are fears that Islamic Boko Haram militants may be using kidnapped girls as suicide bombers. In Damaturu, explosions and gunfire erupted before dawn Monday, with militants targeting a police base. A local resident says it was destroyed by fire. Police said around 30 extremists were also killed. On Friday, bomb blasts and gunfire killed more than 100 people praying at the main mosque in northern Kano, Nigeria’s second largest city.
