Triangle-K, Hebrew National Contractor Threatens To Sue Jewish Newspaper

The Hebrew National Scandal Part 4: AER Services, Inc., the company that provides shochtim (ritual slaughters), bodkim, and mashgichim (kosher inspectors) for five plants that sll meat to ConAgra for Hebrew National is threatening to sue the American Jewish World for its coverage of the Hebrew National kosher meat scandal.

Sent via email:

On June 13, 2012, The American Jewish World’s editor, Mordecai Specktor, published an article on its website entitled, “Class action lawsuit argues that Hebrew National hot dogs are not completely kosher”. Mr. Specktor cites numerous sources of information and practices regarding certain allegations made against AER Services, Inc.

Neither Mr. Specktor nor any representative of the American Jewish World contacted, questioned, examined or otherwise consulted with AER Services, Inc. in order to ascertain the Company’s opinion, position, or otherwise verify and/or validate the false accusations and allegations that were made against AER in the article.

As a result of the regrettable and defamatory misconduct of Mr. Specktor and The American Jewish World, AER Services, Inc. intends to file on or before June 20, 2012, the attached Complaint to obtain relief from Mr. Specktor’s improper and unlawful conduct based on the contents of his defamatory article.

Please know that AER Services, Inc. is always available to answer specific questions about any part of the kosher meat processing and inspection services as supervised by the Triangle K Supervision and Certification Organization and can be reached at: info@aerservicesinc.com.

AER Services, Inc. remains committed and prepared to answer and respond to each and every allegation and looks forward to proving its innocence against any and all unfounded accusations.…

AER Services, Inc.

The entire proposed complaint against the AJW as a PDF file:

Download AER v. AJW 6-18-2012

Comments

[Louis]

Journalists have no standards, they are loose cannons and are the greatest danger to our republic. They should be sues here and there to keep them in line and to make sure that they check their sources before they destroy people and businesses.

[Louis]

make that "sued"

[Steven W]

Skimmed the proposed complaint. I am sure American Jewish World is quaking in their collective boots.

Not.

[seth]

The lawsuit will go nowhere. The newspaper reported on a public document, that is, a court document in the form of a lawsuit. There are under no obligation to consult with or provide a forum to anyone.

Is it the right thing, an ethical thing to do? That has nothing to do with the law.

[seymour]

Posted by: seth | June 18, 2012 at 07:02 PM

agreed

[Rebitzman]

Not so sure on this one.

Right or wrong, AER may be in a better position to fight this war (deeper pockets). Simply publishing the disclaimer the lawyer is demanding may well be the cheapest way out for The American Jewish World.

[Jake]

Tripled agreed

Though it would be Nice for that paper to shut down.

[robert]

shocker alert!! title of article is misleading... where does it say anywhere in this lawyers letter about triangle k or hebrew national threatening to sue if it clearly says in the letter that this law firm represents AER and not anyone else? this is typical misleading, which has almost become the norm

[abcdef]

You couldn't make up a better fiction. This is getting more and more entertaining!

[MM]

Robert, read again. The headline says that the CONTRACTOR (which is AER) is threatening to sue. Triangle K and Hebrew National are modifiers of contractor, not the subjects og "threatens." Further Triangle K and Hebrew National could not be the grammatically correct subject of 'threatens' because 'threatens' is singular, and a compound subject (which "Triangle K, Hebrew National" would be) would take a plural verb. So, Robert, your final sentence would be more accurate if it said, "this is typical misReading, which has almost become the norm."

[Get a clue]

Mordecai Spektor if I recall is the ignoramus who couldn't get basic Jewish facts straight when writing editorials.

[Isa]

This is like watching a boxing match and you hate both boxers

They should 'kill' each other

[itchiemayer]

CNN's Gary Tuchman reported tonight on the Anderson Cooper show about the problem of sexual abuse in the Chasidic communities. I was on the treadmill and only caught the tail end of it.

[dh]

Thanks itchi, I turned to it and saw almost the whole thing. What locale were they filming? And wow, is it true one in five children are molested? I didn't hear the source. Hynes sounds tough but he's caving slowly. He seems sort of small and withered for such a monumental sleaze.

[Eli, what me messiah?]

Not so sure on this one.
Posted by: Rebitzman | June 18, 2012 at 08:54 PM

Me either. Seems overkill. They could have simply sent a letter demanding clarification. You don't need to threaten a suit before filing.
I really think the better approach would be to turn this into a positive response, keeping to the high road, instead of engaging in a race to the bottom.

[Office of the Chief Rabbi]

Listening to client bitch about newspaper article: 1 billable hour. Writing letter to newspaper about client's bitching: another billable hour.

[AJW reader]

Headline:
Kashrut Contractor Threatens To Sue the Minneapolis American Jewish World Newspaper. Claims Jewish Newspaper's journalism practices are not kosher.

[FirstGenerationBavarianAmerican]

Well, Reuters picked up this story yesterday and it is now fodder for "weird news". It was picked up by Yahoo News a few hours ago and the story's crackpot comments are good for belly laughs, like this one from "DESI" of "Syracuse, NY":

"When Con agra bought national they may have tweeked the formula a little but when I worked there a guy named O'hara always said a prayer when he mixed the beef with the pork trimmings. I also remember the CEO walking through and saying O'hara you sure theie Kosher and O'hara saying sure boss I learned how to do it from a jewish guy in my block in Queens so people should stop worrying they're Kosher."

If the American Jewish World was not 100% convinced of the veracity of the statements made by the alleged whistle blowers, they should have just covered the details of the lawsuit in their story. NBC News got taken to the cleaners because they smeared a guy who they said was behind the anthrax attacks. Media can get sued.

[BK]

This is great reporting, Shmarya. As soon as this story broke, I hit up your site, as I knew you'd do all the due journalistic diligence.

Thanks as always for doing what you do.

Here's a question - I've always assumed that Hebrew National were glatt just like most other beef in the US, and I had only ever heard of stam with regards to dairy. Can someone more immured in fleishig kashrus explain what the distinction of stam kosher is with regards to beef?

Thanks!

[Shmarya]

Posted by: BK | June 19, 2012 at 12:10 PM

Glatt is a halakhic term referring to the smoothness of the lungs of the animal.

Until the last 40 years or so, most very Orthodox people – including the biggest haredi rabbis – ate non-glatt "stam' kosher meat.

The OU chose to stop certifying that meat for various reasons – many of them not good.

That left the non-glatt market open for crooks and shady characters, and rabbis with very creative ways of deeming questionable meat kosher.

Ralbag is usually credited with helping to clean up that situation.