CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles Daily News
By BILL HETHERMAN, City News Service
POSTED: 11/17/15
LOS ANGELES — The former co-director of Kabbalah Centre International plied a student with Vicodin and alcohol, then inappropriately touched her and tried to have sex with her, an attorney told a jury today.
Addressing a Los Angeles Superior Court jury hearing opening statements in trial of Jena Scaccetti’s lawsuit, lawyer Alain Bonavida said Rabbi Yehuda Berg’s intentions were clear.
“She’s alleging in this case he attempted to rape her,” he said.
But Berg’s attorney, John Cline, said his client mistakenly believed Scaccetti wanted to have sex.
“He made an awkward, inappropriate advance and she said no,” Cline said. “He stopped and she sued him 14 months later.”
Berg had been drinking that evening and was intoxicated when the incident occurred, Cline said.
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