Washington Hebrew Congregation has named a new director to its preschool after placing its previous director on administrative leave when a lawsuit was filed against the school.
Miryam Buchler will become director of the Edlavitch Tyler Early Childhood Center on July 15.
The previous director, D.J. Schneider Jensen, was placed on administrative leave in April, following a lawsuit filed by eight families alleging she ignored multiple warnings that a staff member was sexually abusing several children at the school. The synagogue in February had already announced that Jensen would be departing following the 2018-19 school year.
“Miryam brings to this position exceptional experience as an early childhood director and educator at the JCC in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida,” the synagogue’s spokesperson, Amy Rotenberg, said in a statement. “We look forward to her leadership and energy in furthering the innovative educational pedagogy that has distinguished the E-T ECC,”
There was no mention of the suit or of Jensen in Rotenberg’s statement or on the synagogue’s website.
“A combination of good timing and hard work by many has brought Miryam to us at this very important moment,” the statement said.
Metropolitan Police reported no progress in its sexual abuse investigation of the synagogue. Ongoing since last August, The investigation remains open according to both Metropolitan Police and the Office of the Attorney General. No arrests have been made.
“We can confirm that the Office of the Attorney General is conducting an investigation of the Washington Hebrew Congregation preschool, however we will decline to comment further at this time,” the Office of the Attorney General said in an email.
Others involved in the suit said there has been no progress.
