Mordecai Tendler

Rabbi Mordecai Tendler is the former rabbi of an Orthodox Jewish community which he founded in New Hempstead, New York. He was known among Orthodox Jews "as a scholar, educator, and community leader."
Family
Tendler was born into a prominent American Orthodox family. He is the son of Rabbi Moshe Tendler, an expert in Jewish medical ethics, and his maternal grandfather is Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, one of the leading 20th century American rabbinic decisors (posek). As the posek's grandson and disciple, Mordecai Tendler worked closely with Feinstein in administering his efforts to promulgate responsa on many matters of Jewish law (halakhah). Moreover, Tendler helped prepare and edit various volumes of Feinstein's responsa for publication in the series.
Allegations of misconduct
In 2005, Tendler was sued by Adina Marmelstein who claimed that Tendler used his clerical position to seduce her. She claimed that he "induced her into having intercourse as part of a course of sexual therapy which he represented would lead to her achieving her goals of marriage and children," and by doing so breached his fiduciary duty to her. The New York Court of Appeals unanimously dismissed the complaint, ruling that Marmelstein "failed to establish the 'essential elements' of a fiduciary relationship -- meaning 'de facto control and dominance'" and at most "showed only that she was deceived by Tendler, not that she was so vulnerable that she lost her capacity to make her own decisions."
Due to these and other allegations of sexual misconduct, and his non-cooperation with an investigation, Tendler's membership in the Rabbinical Council of America was revoked in 2005. Subsequently, the RCA received an injunction from the regional Jerusalem Beit Din which prohibited the RCA from "harming the office and position of Mordecai Tendler without first summoning him to a Beit Din or Zabla anywhere in the world." In 2006, Tendler was removed from his Rabbinical position. Tendler has continued to deny the allegations of the plaintiffs and of anonymous bloggers. Legal proceedings between Tendler and the bloggers were still ongoing .

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