The Rockland County Board of Health fined nine yeshivas in Rockland County that did not comply with mandates to prevent the further spread of the measles. All nine schools are now in compliance with the Health Commissioner’s order.
The Board of Health met in Pomona today to deal with the outbreak, which has continued for 12 weeks with 95 cases reported in which more than half are children.
Rockland County’s health commissioner ordered schools in the epicenter of the measles outbreak to report their vaccination rates and attendance weekly. It’s a measure put in place for schools with low vaccination rates and experiencing cases.
While two thirds of schools in the county complied with the mandate, nine yeshivas did not.
The fine for noncompliance is $2,000 a day, and some did not comply for two weeks.
Eight of the schools signing stipulations before today’s hearings and were given reduced fines, equal to 10% of their original fine. The ninth school, Ateres Bnos, did not agree to the stipulations and was fined as listed below during today’s Board of Health hearing.
Here are the yeshivas and the civil penalties:
Yeshiva Ohr Torah (Monsey) – $6,950
Bais Chana Malka (Spring Valley) – $5,950
The Skill Building Center (Spring Valley) – $5,750
Yeshiva Tzoin Yosef Pupa (Boys – Spring Valley) – $6,950
Yeshiva Tzoin Yosef Pupa (Girls – Spring Valley) – $6,950
Ateres Bnos (two locations – Spring Valley and New Square) – $24,750
Avir Yakov (Boys and girls Spring Valley and New City) – $5,950
Bnei Yakov Yosef (Spring Valley and New City) – $6,950
“During a public health crisis, we expect everyone to comply with the Health Commissioner’s orders,” said County Executive Ed Day. “These regulations are designed to protect public health for the entire community and while the majority of schools have complied we will not allow anyone to put children’s lives at risk. We will grant no quarter in protection of the health of this County.”
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11 Responses
“The fine for noncompliance is $2,000 a day”
So, the schools that were fined 6950 were noncompliant for 3.475 days?
These schools (especially the boys) probably don’t give any education either so no one knew how to read the state mandated requirements.
Appeal, assuming there’s a religious exemption, and that the schools had all of the religious exemptions on file.
For all those who are outraged that some people don’t immunize (for many, many reasons) and that the State has the “right” to shut down a school or impose their laws/fines on people who don’t immunize, remember you can’t have it both ways!!! You can’t agree that the State can fine you/or shut down a school for not being up to date on immunizations, but then argue outrage that the State is going to fine/shut down schools because they don’t comply with the State curriculum. Can’t have it both ways. What happens when the State wants to impose mandatory HPV vaccinations on our children (girls and boys)? What happens then? It is a very slippery slope indeed..
BTW that photo is a CDC propaganda photo and is not a picture of any child in the current NY outbreak…which BTW is not the largest outbreak of measles in recent history. The biggest outbreak of measles in the last 10 years was in 2014 with 667 cases compared to 292 (epidemic!!!) as of November 2018 (CDC data).
A good start….
Now i can cross these Yeshivos off of my tzedakah lists, as I do not want to participate in illegal (and dangerous) activites!!
Curriculum is control. that’s against religious liberty. vaccination is public safety so, “more chessed more truth”, there’s a difference.
This is excellent!!! It’s fantastic that they’re using another important tool to ensure compliance with these important laws to avoid endangering the innocent public! The fine is really too low, but at least it’s a start to help enforce critical compliance!
The schools that didn’t comply with sending the requested records will also not comply with sending in payment for the fine.
So much loshan horah. Totally unimpressed with most of you.
As a acquaintance to one of the yeshivas I happen to know they filed everything on time but instead of filing one person by his LEGAL NAME of Simon for example, they filed shimon.
So all of ya, hope you enjoyed yourselfs.
Yesh din vyesh dayan
Mlyb2010. Do u expect us to believe they were found noncompliant and fined because 1 name was entered as their hebrew name not knowing they had an english name?
mlyb2010, I want to try to understand what you are saying so that I can get the complete, honest, and unbiased picture. You need not directly identify yourself or the particular institution.
1. You are an acquaintance of one of the yeshivas? What does that mean? Does that mean you are an employee, an administrator, on the board, alumni from 10 years ago, or just daven mincha there once a while?
2. So, as an acquaintance you personally have knowledge and/or access to personal files, SSNs and private HIPAA information, and know exactly how all the forms were submitted? If so, then I think there is a bigger problem with the given yeshiva that community acquaintances have knowledge of private confidential information on the students records. Am I wrong?
3. I can’t speak for all, but I am certainly not enjoying myself reading stories about Jewish children in medical pain and suffering because of illnesses or diseases, with the politics of the parents affecting them. Zero enjoyment.
@RebbYidd: WHen they complied, the fine was reduced to 10% of the original. Ateres Bnos, on the other hand, following the chasidish tenet that “Laws are merely suggestions to us, like stop signs and red light”, refused to comply.
@More chesed: change your name to More BS Than Truth. You are just rambling, trying to defend anti-vaxxers.