Kars4Kids CEO Challenges New York State’s Concealed Carry Law, Citing Child Safety

Kars4Kids CEO Challenges New York State’s Concealed Carry Law, Citing Child Safety

Edited by: TJVNews.com

The CEO of Kars4Kids, Eliyohu Mintz, known for the charity’s catchy advertising jingle, has filed a federal lawsuit challenging New York state’s concealed carry law, as was reported by The Jewish Telegraphic Agency.  Mintz argues that the law puts children at risk of anti-Semitic attacks, leaving them vulnerable in places of religious activities. The JTA reported that the lawsuit, filed on behalf of Mintz and Eric Schwartz, a camp administrator at the Oorah summer camp, which is funded by Kars4Kids, raises concerns about the safety of the camp and its staff members.

Kars4Kids, a Jewish charity based in Lakewood, New Jersey, has encountered legal issues in the past. In 2009, the organization faced fines from Pennsylvania and Oregon for deceptive advertising practices. They accused Kars4Kids of not adequately disclosing that a significant portion of the funds raised goes towards Orthodox Jewish outreach rather than supporting needy children, as was reported by the JTA. The charity has also faced criticism from charity watchdogs and the Minnesota attorney general in 2017.

The lawsuit challenges the Concealed Carry Improvement Act, which was enacted last year following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down an earlier firearms ban. The JTA also reported that the act imposes restrictions on carrying firearms in certain locations, including schools, medical facilities, and houses of worship. Mintz and Schwartz argue that this ban on carrying guns in places of religious activities exposes the Oorah summer camp, and its staff, to anti-Semitic attacks without warning.

Mintz, in a declaration attached to the lawsuit, expressed concerns about the rising number of violent attacks on Jewish people, particularly in places of worship and where children are present, the JTA report said. He emphasizes that these attacks are often random and provide no advance warning. Mintz insists that he and other licensed staff members cannot be left unprepared and unarmed in the face of potential evildoers who may target the camp, the JTA report indicated.

“The violent attacks on Jewish people targeting places of worship and places where children are — the most vulnerable of the population — are random and provide the victims with no notice or advance warning,” Mintz said in a declaration attached to the lawsuit, the JTA report indicated. “I cannot be left unprepared and unarmed in the event that an evildoer decides to attack one or both of the [camp’s] campuses, nor can the other licensed staff members.”

Amy Bellatoni, the lawyer representing Mintz and Schwartz, explained that her clients would not benefit from a recent amendment to the law allowing designated security personnel to carry weapons in houses of worship.

“The plaintiffs are staffers who have carried for personal protection and want to continue carrying,” she said, the JTA report. “They are not designated security personnel and, therefore, not part of the exemption.”

Mintz and Schwartz are not considered designated security personnel and aim to continue carrying firearms for personal protection, as was reported by the JTA.

Eric Schwartz, a camp administrator who resides year-round on the campgrounds, provided a declaration supporting the lawsuit. Schwartz highlights that he and his fellow staff members are easily recognizable as Orthodox Jews, making them potential targets for discriminatory acts, the JTA report said. He states that over the years, they have faced ethnic slurs, hateful comments, and even incidents involving the throwing of objects, including Molotov cocktails.

The lawsuit names three defendants: New York State Police’s acting superintendent, Steve Nigrelli; Schoharie County Sheriff Ronald Stevens, whose jurisdiction includes the Oorah camp; and Susan Mallery, the district attorney for Schoharie County, according to the JTA report. The New York State Police declined to comment on the pending litigation, and there was no response from Sheriff Stevens or District Attorney Mallery.

While some Jewish security specialists argue that arming rank-and-file Jews is not an effective deterrent against anti-Semitic attacks, Mintz and Schwartz maintain that the identifiable nature of their Orthodox Jewish staff members at the camp puts them at a higher risk, the JTA reported. The debate on the effectiveness of .personal firearms for protection continues.