Why is Kolko still on the payroll?

Hot off the presses

Kolko got big bucks from Torah Temimah while ‘on leave’; lawyers suggest it’s hush money. A Brooklyn rabbi charged with having sexually molested his students has collected almost $70,000 from Yeshiva Torah Temimah and entities linked to it since the school put him on administrative leave 22 months ago.

The school says this is severance pay; the lawyers for the other side say YTT is paying Kolko to protect the school from liability by keeping his mouth shut. Most schools, including the NYC public school system, one lawyer noted, suspend without pay teachers who have been accused of sexual misconduct. "I would hope that a yeshiva would hold itself to a higher standard than the New York City school system," he said.