YMCA Cancels Child Care Program At South Windsor Synagogue After Discovering Its President Is On The Sex Offender Registry

Hartford Courant - 10/3/2018

Oct. 03--The Indian Valley Family YMCA has pulled out of an arrangement to use space at Temple Beth Hillel in South Windsor, citing safety concerns after discovering the congregation's president is listed on the state's sex offender registry.

The YMCA planned to use the synagogue for a before- and after-school child care program that was scheduled to start earlier this week.

The program, set up by the town as a way to alleviate the dearth of child care, was expecting 30 children at the temple for the after-school program Monday afternoon.

Instead, the program plans to open Thursday after arranging to relocate to the Indian Valley Family YMCA in Vernon.

According to records, Jason Wasserman, president of Temple Beth Hillel, was sentenced to probation in 2010 after pleading guilty to attempt to commit enticing a minor by computer and attempt to commit risk of injury to a minor.

Wasserman had been caught in a computer sting in 2008 after, police say, he went to Glastonbury to engage in sexual activity with a person he thought was a 13-year-old girl he had met online. The girl turned out to be a cop.

Police say evidence showed that he also wanted to take sexually explicit pictures of the girl.

According to a July 2010 report in The Courant, Wasserman was sentenced to probation because, according to his lawyer, Hubert Santos, "the medical report we submitted strongly supports a conclusion that he is not at risk of offending in the future."

Town Manager Matthew B. Galligan said he was told by the YMCA that the group pulled out of the arrangement because of "safety reasons."

"Upon further investigation ... it was concerning an individual who was part of the temple," Galligan told the town council Monday night. "The Y had a reputation to protect and they felt there was a certain individual they were uncomfortable with there. They felt that issue could not be resolved by the temple. So they had a parting of the ways. It was a safety concern for them, so that's why they pulled out."

Parents blasted Town Councilman Jeffrey Glickman who they say put children at risk because he knew about Wasserman's sex offender status and kept it from the YMCA.

Glickman tried to explain to YMCA officials that Wasserman was not a risk to children.

"He's not a safety threat to anybody," Glickman said Tuesday. "I've known him for 10 years and I've worked with him and helped him ... There was no danger here. And I'm very proud to have him as president of our synagogue. We knew his past and I'm proud they [the congregation] recognized the good in him."

Glickman said there is "a world of difference between people who admit things and people who don't," adding, "I'm very proud to stand next to Jason Wasserman. I'm proud of how he's come back from this. He knows what he did was wrong and he's paid a heavy price."

Parents, who only learned about Wasserman after someone spotted him on the sex offender registry, called on Glickman to resign from the council. Karen Lydecker said she was "angry" and "felt betrayed."

"I would never put my child in a facility with somebody on the registry," Lydecker said. "This information was specifically kept from the Y until a parent brought it to the Y's attention ... We could have knowingly put children at risk.

"There needs to be accountability. I believe certain members who were aware of this information don't necessarily belong on a town council where their judgement is so questionable that they would put children at risk," she added.

Parent Richard Delhaie echoed Lydecker.

"This has shamed the town and brought discredit on the council," Delhaie said. "And you are willing to put South Windsor children at risk? ... There is one option for accountability. It shouldn't be just his volunteering [to resign], it should be the rest of you promoting that idea. There's no way any other option is acceptable."

Councilman Matthew Riley said the situation was "completely preventable."

"This information was known by a councilor," Riley said. "That's relevant information to the YMCA. That's why they backed out. It was relevant information to the parents in the community that were looking to this solution ... It was relevant information that shouldn't have been kept in the dark. That's transparency and it didn't happen."

South Windsor has been struggling to provide before- and after-school care for children. The parks and recreation program, "4th R," is filled, with dozens of children on a waiting list.

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