YU Employee with Abuse Conviction No Longer At University

Yeshiva University has terminated Akiva Roth, 42, after past sexual misconduct came to light, officials said Friday.. The university admitted that it had “erred” by allowing Roth to begin teaching before his background check was completed.

Roth, who had been hired as a Hebrew teacher at Yeshiva College, had pleaded guilty to four counts of abuse against boys he tutored for their bar mitzvahs in 1997. He received ten years of probation.

The university has been at the center of a recent firestorm of controversy after alumni filed a lawsuit alleging years of abuse from multiple faculty members.

“Yeshiva University will continue to re-evaluate its hiring processes and work to close any gaps in our procedure,” the statement said.