EXCLUSIVE REPORT: What was once a heartwarming story about a determined Tenafly man’s nationwide campaign to help his autistic daughter and children like her has spiraled into a series of jarring incidents — including his arrest on stalking and harassment charges.
Jonathan Singer — who runs marathons nationwide to raise money for special needs causes and has conducted ongoing public battles with school and borough officials, among others — was being held on $158,000 full cash bail in the Bergen County Jail.
A two-month extradition fight ended when Singer, 50, was returned to New Jersey from Florida yesterday after authorities said he violated a restraining order by contacting a domestic violence victim via email and social media.
Singer posted these on Facebook on Dec. 5, three days before his arrest in Florida
A judge in Hackensack issued a warrant on Oct. 31 for Singer’s arrest on charges of contempt, stalking and cyber-harassment (“including obscene materials”) in violation of an earlier restraining order, court records in Hackensack show.
Singer, who was in Florida for a marathon at the time, was picked up by Sarasota County authorities on Dec. 8.
Bail originally was set at $53,000.
He at first refused to waive extradition.
Since then, authorities charged Singer with emailing and messaging the victim again. His bail was increased to $105,000.
Late last month, the 6-foot-1-inch, 200-pound Singer waived extradition. He was brought north this week.
A third violation was added, boosting the bail to $158,000 as of this afternoon, records show.
Tenafly police confirmed the violations, arrest and extradition but wouldn’t elaborate, citing the nature of the offenses.
Some considered “Jon” Singer eccentric when he drove around town in a Mustang convertible with a surfboard sticking out the back. Others privately confided concerns over what they said could have been considered threatening references to judges and others.
Nothing rose to the level of criminality under which authorities said they could bring charges.
That changed with an alleged domestic violence incident, followed by Singer’s arrest this past September by police in Closter, who said he refused their orders to leave after confronting pro-Palestinian protestors outside Temple Emanu-El.
In his defense, Singer said he yelled a profanity and played a Jewish song from his car.
FACEBOOK photo
Singer first made headlines in 2002, when he and his daughter, Rebecca, campaigned cross-country to raise funds to open a local academy for children with autism.
Rebecca was born with a rare genetic disorder, Phelan-McDermid syndrome, which left her unable to speak or care for herself — although she can easily ski, roller blade, ride a bicycle and swim, among other things. Experts say the syndrome affects about 300 families worldwide.
A year after the trip, Singer and a group of other parents estbalished the non-profit REED Academy in Oakland in an effort to provide independent living skills to students with autism aged 3 to 21.
Singer also wrote a handbook for parents with special needs children, which he made available for free download on his web site, Drive4Rebecca.
Singer continued to battle hard on her behalf, and on behalf of all special needs children, posting helpful links and documents online, running marathons and participating in other events to raise money and awareness. Beneficiaries have included the Alpine Learning Group, the Institute for Educational Achievement and Princeton Child Development Institute Program, among others.
He and his daughter also took to the road four years ago to show how important special needs children are.
Sixteen months ago, Rebecca Singer moved to a residential facility in Pennsylvania.
Nov. 29 FACEBOOK post
For nearly a year before that, her father battled with Tenafly school district officials over how she would be educated and how much it would cost. At one point he sent emails accusing them of being “educational child abusers.”
Then Singer showed up outside Tenafly Middle School in a red Lamborghini with another man dressed as Moses and distributed Dunkin Donuts to children who posed for cellphone photos — an attempt, he said, to campaign for educational rights for special-needs children.
Police summoned to the school had the men move down the road.
The principal later sent an email to parents urging them to use the incident to talk with their children about “stranger danger.”
Singer ignited another firestorm when he turned his ire toward borough government.
Tenafly Mayor Peter Rustin emailed him in October 2013 in response to what he called a “series of about a dozen rambling, offensive, and totally inappropriate and counter-productive emails.”
The mayor told Singer that he’d personally witnessed the family’s “total commitment to your daughter,” while adding that he “admired and supported your efforts in one manner or another.”
That work “has benefited not only Rebecca, but the entire special needs community; as well as Tenafly and the surrounding region,” Rustin wrote.
“Now, in a very short time, your actions have eroded such goodwill and support perhaps beyond any future repair,” the mayor added.
“Your accusations are beyond credibility and totally inappropriate. Your name calling is uncalled for and beyond the bounds of propriety,” the email said. “How any rational person can expect assistance from people who have been called the names you have used is beyond me.”
A relative of Singer’s “agreed that you were out of control and hurting not only your goals for Rebecca, but totally destroying your position in the community,” Rustin added.
“This is too bad. Rebecca deserves better, and until recently has always gotten the best anyone could expect.”
Singer, in turn, said Rustin’s intent “was clearly to slander me, and influence those individuals negatively towards me and my family which could have a direct impact on the provision of services to our daughter.”
He offered what he said was a response from Rebecca’s grandmother insisting that she’d actually said “we are a family devastated by Rebecca’s situation” and “begging [Rustin] to please help our beloved girl.”
“I never said Jon was out of control. I said Jon was stressed out by the terrible turn of events,” Singer said she wrote to the mayor. “I fully back the family 100% and you and Board of Education are treating them poorly.”
In Sarasota for a marathon
Singer continued his relentless advocacy. But troubles mounted.
Then came the domestic violence arrest.
Since then, Singer has frequently interspersed posts on the Drive4Rebecca Facebook page with personal comments.
He also published photos of himself with the lyrics to such songs as Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” and Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” several of which were accompanied by extended lists of hashtags.
Among his recent posts:
“I’ll be grateful if no one accuses me of being mentally ill and tries to lock me up, no one takes out an arrest warrant on me, no one sends a PI after me, no one keeps me from my kids, no one makes me homeless etc. you know what I’m saying.”
“Abandoned by many of them … this lynch mob I called friends … but not everyone! You know who you are and thanks for keeping the spirit in this Dadvocate alive!”
“This Dadvocate isn’t cray cray – just crazy about fighting legal and educational terrorists!”
“See below from the psychiatrist that treated us for two years up until 2 weeks before my unjust incarceration. How Dr. Malpractice, who had me incarcerated, could have diagnosed me so hastily, without speaking to my psychiatrist of two years, is unconscionable.”
“Help make sure no unethical lawyers,
dishonorable judges or bad brothers
keep good Mom and Dadvocates
from their kids with special needs”
“Some people say I’m Manic, I say I’m DRIVEN.”
His next court appearance was scheduled for Feb. 27.
CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter Mary K. Miraglia contributed to this report
