The Perils of Cancel Culture in our Jewish Community

In a notable case in Broome County New York, false rape charges against Leor Kweller, a former teacher, were dismissed before trial, and the District Attorney’s appeal was denied by the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court.  This dismissal is a significant victory for Kweller and his family, who have been fighting to clear his name and restore his reputation.

So, what is he trying to restore it from? Leor Kweller, his brother Yaron Kweller, and co-defendant Jordan Ringden faced serious accusations from a November 2021 sexual abuse incident involving Binghamton University college-town haunts, The Colonial and Dos Rios restaurants in downtown Binghamton – that have since closed as a result. The allegations devastated their lives. Yaron and Ringden’s businesses suffered, and their reputations were tarnished. Yet, the most impacted victim was a man named Leor Kweller. He lives in Flatbush, Brooklyn, and lost his teaching position at a Brooklyn yeshiva, and was later rejected for a job with the Board of Education due to the allegations. Whenever he applied for teaching jobs, news of his arrest and indictment surfaced as top search results.

The issue here is not that word got out when he was accused. That we have become accustomed to, and to some, it is the right thing to do where young children may be at risk – as is the case with a school teacher. The issue is that a Jewish victim’s advocacy group that many know of was quick to plaster Leor’s name all over social media, to his friends, his family, his community, and anyone who might hire him, without having the full story – but just knowing that he was indicted. Then, when the truth finally came out, when he was exonerated in the best way possible, this “outcrying” group could not even post that the charges had been dropped, nor that the appeal to reinstate the charges was denied much less an apology. Is that the way of the Torah? To accuse and damage but never accept responsibility and apologize?

Ultimately, the case against Leor was dismissed before it could go to trial. His attorneys successfully argued that there was no evidence to support the charges. The Broome County District Attorney’s Office, led by Michael Korchak, who was running for reelection and subsequently lost, attempted to appeal the dismissal. Appellate judges, however, upheld the decision, affirming Leor’s innocence. I mention Korchak’s election because he knew the evidence but may have calculated that he couldn’t win an election if he dropped a highly charged rape case in a small college town. He was wrong. He was not re-elected, and many who were polled suggested that he was more concerned with his election than justice.

The trial of Yaron Kweller and Jordan Ringden ended with an acquittal after just two hours of deliberations.  The shocking moment at trial, when it was revealed that the prosecutor had concealed exculpatory evidence showing that the women had colluded to extort the accused for money and luxury goods, was likely a major part of that decision by the defendants’ twelve peers. One of the accusers admitted that they were instructed to delete exculpatory texts and social media posts and then plainly pointed to the prosecutor in the courtroom when asked who instructed them to do so.

What this Jewish victims’ advocacy group should have reported was that the case of People v. Leor Kweller (CR-23-1517) concluded on May 30, 2023, when the New York State Supreme Court dismissed the charges, and that the subsequent appeal by the prosecution initiated in June 2023, was denied and ended on April 1, 2024. The good news is that Leor and his family no longer live under the threat of wrongful prosecution. The hard part is yet to come – rebuilding, getting a job, paying his bills, and keeping his family safe and sound.

Leor Kweller, born in Queens and a resident of Flatbush, expressed immense relief and gratitude that the ordeal had ended. However, he acknowledges that the journey to fully restore his rights and reputation is far from over.

In their quest for justice, the Kwellers and Ringden are now suing and have filed claims against Broome County and the City of Binghamton for wrongful arrest and malicious prosecution. They hope that their experience will bring about real change to prevent future miscarriages of justice.

As the legal battles continue, Leor remains determined to rebuild his life and advocate for a system that better protects the innocent. This case exemplifies the dangers of cancel culture, where individuals are judged and punished in the court of public opinion long before any legal verdict is reached, often with devastating and lasting consequences.