Yeshiva World News has learned that the New York Times is planning to publish a story later today that repeats their false accusation about rampant corporal punishment in yeshivas. Their hook is that Governor Hochul has signed a bill banning all schools in the State from administering such punishment. That is all good – nobody in the Jewish community opposed that common-sense law, which applies to public as well as private schools. But YWN has learned that the Times intends to write that the law was passed in response to corporal punishment in yeshivas. New York Times reporter Brian Rosenthal sent the following email to yeshiva advocates today: “We are doing a piece today about the state banning corporal punishment in private schools. Gov. Hochul signed the bill yesterday. Obviously we are reporting that this was introduced in response to our investigation into Hasidic schools. We’re wondering if you have a comment on this.” The problem for the Times is that back in March, bill sponsor Senator Julia Salazar wrote: “To be clear: We introduced this bill because the law should *explicitly* ban corporal punishment in all schools. The use of physical or violent methods to ostensibly discipline students has happened in many schools. I haven’t seen any evidence of it being a pattern in yeshivas.” As reported in the Algemeiner at the time, Agudath Israel of America also criticized the Times attempt to portray yeshivas as abusive. “The New York Times has misfired yet again in its latest attack on the Orthodox community,” said Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel. “Our yeshivas are positive, warm, learning environments which impart our traditions; that is why our parents choose them. The notion, painted by the Times, that children in yeshivas subsist in a cruel, abusive environment where they are ‘regularly hit, slapped or kicked by their instructors’ is simply untrue… they are actually far safer there than public school. Agudath Israel supports the new legislation to crack down on unwarranted corporal punishment in all schools, both public and private.” And in March Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein also called out the Times, saying “Correct, Senator. No corporal punishment at ANY school. As a yeshiva parent/former student, I’m not familiar with the use of corporal punishment at yeshivas, nor would I tolerate it Sadly, the New York Timess continues its onslaught against Orthodox Jews.” As for the Times recent request for comment, we offer this: “As with its grossly inaccurate reporting on the Gaza hospital, the Times is insistent on placing Jews in stories where they do not belong.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)