Director of pro-Israel LGBTQ group faces sexual misconduct charge

The director of a pro-Israel LGBTQ advocacy organization is facing a criminal charge stemming from his alleged sexual misconduct against a museum employee last year in Vermont.

Ethan Felson, executive director of A Wider Bridge, was charged last November with lewd and lascivious conduct. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge and faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $300, according to the charging documents.

The case is making its way through the court, with the next hearing set for February. It was first reported in local Vermont publications in mid-November, shortly after the charge was filed.

Felson’s attorney, Jordana Levine, said that he “vigorously maintains his innocence and will continue to do so throughout this process.” She added that he has not been interviewed by law enforcement and is on medical leave from A Wider Bridge ahead of heart surgery next week.

In response to an inquiry, the board of A Wider Bridge said in a statement, “A Wider Bridge Executive Director Ethan Felson is currently on leave. Board Chair Daniel Hernandez and our professional team are keeping AWB programs and missions moving forward as usual.”

The board added, “The terms of his leave are still under discussion.”

Felson has publicly represented A Wider Bridge since he was charged, including recently. Last week, he was quoted in a press release about a study the group published in conjunction with another Jewish LGBTQ group.

The charge and court case come at a turbulent time for A Wider Bridge’s work. Several LGBTQ groups and activists have been harshly critical of Israel since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. Jews have reported feeling uncomfortable in LGBTQ spaces, and groups including Felson’s have endeavored to shine a light on instances of discrimination.

Now, the LGBTQ community faces another challenge from the Trump administration, which campaigned on anti-transgender messages that it is now putting into action. Since taking office last week, President Donald Trump has taken action to remove federal recognition of transgender identity and ban transgender service members from the military. Earlier this month, A Wider Bridge was one of more than 100 Jewish groups to sign a letter opposing legislation that would ban transgender women and girls from women’s school sports.

“A Wider Bridge plays an important role in American LGBTQ Jewish life and in supporting LGBTQ organizations in Israel, and so my hope is that it continues to play that role and maintain its strength in this current very challenging period within American society,” said Idit Klein, CEO of the Jewish LGBTQ group Keshet.

“We’re in a time of tremendous fear, tremendous uncertainty, tremendous anxiety,” she added. “In that context, the role of supportive Jewish organizations truly is more important than ever.”

The charge against Felson were filed after a Vermont museum employee accused Felson of sexual misconduct last fall.

According to the charging documents, the employee was working at the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, Vermont, on Oct. 5 when he said Felson visited with his family. Felson then allegedly followed the employee and grabbed his genital area over his pants. After the employee objected, Felson allegedly flashed him twice and continued trying to touch him.

The charging document says the state prosecutor’s office received security footage related to the incident, as well as screenshots of text messages between the victim and an acquaintance. Travis Weaver, the deputy state’s attorney prosecuting the case, declined to provide additional details on the security footage, including as to whether it confirmed the allegations in the charging document. The victim in the case has not responded to a request for comment.

Levine said Felson disputes the allegations.

Felson, a lawyer by training, became A Wider Bridge’s director in 2020 after serving in senior positions at both the Jewish Federations of North America and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. According to his Facebook profile, he lives in Vermont with his family.

Particularly since the Oct. 7 attack, Felson has been a vocal opponent of anti-Zionism and antisemitism in LGBTQ spaces. He has written op-eds in both LGBTQ and Jewish publications, including the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and been interviewed about the rights of Jews to be safe in LGBTQ spaces.

“The true test of inclusivity at Pride lies not merely in welcoming a diverse crowd, but in ensuring that every participant feels safe and valued,” he wrote in the Washington Blade last March. “If we remain indifferent to the vulnerabilities faced by Jewish queer people this Pride season, we will fall short of the very ideals of inclusivity and solidarity that Pride stands for.”

This month, A Wider Bridge partnered with Eshel, a group that supports LGBTQ Orthodox Jews, to publish a report on antisemitism in queer spaces whose announcement included a quote from Felson, identifying him as executive director. Eshel’s co-founder and executive director, Miryam Kabakov, was unaware of the allegations against Felson prior to being contacted for an interview.

“We respect the work of A Wider Bridge and have collaborated with them for many years, but Eshel was unaware of these charges prior to today,” she said in a statement. “We take respect and safety seriously. Eshel is proud to work with the SRE Network, and began conversations over a month ago with Sacred Spaces to further our own efforts in this area.”

Since being charged, Felson has also appeared at exclusive gatherings of Jewish leaders. On Dec. 16, he posted a live video to Facebook of President Joe Biden speaking at the White House Hanukkah Party.

The following day, he was due to appear in court in Vermont.