Dallas religious educator arrested on child indecency charge

On April 1, 2024, Yitzhak Meir Sabo, age 43, a rabbi and former Director of Jewish Life at Akiba Yavneh Academy in Dallas, Texas, was arrested and charged with indecency with a child involving sexual contact. According to arrest affidavits and court filings, Sabo is accused of pulling down a male student’s pants and touching the student’s genitals while the student was enrolled in grades 9 through 12, observing the student while showering, and sending inappropriate messages. Akiba Yavneh Academy stated it became aware of the allegations on March 27, notified parents and law enforcement, placed Sabo on administrative leave, and initiated an internal investigation. The school said the allegations do not involve students or staff from its early childhood or lower school programs. Bond was set at $100,000. Prior to the arrest, Sabo had publicly circulated claims related to sexual violence during the October 7 military operation; those claims were not independently verified.