Brighton rabbi sues man charged with repeatedly stabbing him in 2021

Rabbi Shlomo Noginski yesterday sued Khaled Awad, whom authorities say stabbed Noginski eight times as Noginski successfully managed to get the man away from children at a summer program at Shaloh House on Chestnut Hill Avenue in Brighton Center on July 1, 2021.

Awad, arrested not long after the attack, currently faces nine criminal counts in Suffolk Superior Court, including armed assault to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and violating Noginski's civil rights.

Although Awad is not alleged to have uttered or yelled anything about Noginski's faith, prosecutors say he first stabbed the rabbi near a large menorah and that Noginski, who is Chassidic, was wearing clothing that readily identified him as Jewish. The day after attack, WBZ interviewed two of his roommates at a Florida college who said he was a virulent anti-Semite.

Awad was initially scheduled for trial in October, 2022, but that was put off after he was committed to Bridgewater State Hospital, where he remains today, according to court records. He is scheduled for his latest competency hearing on Oct. 4, records show.

In his suit, filed in Suffolk Superior Court, Noginski is seeking repayment for his medical bills and lost income as well as damages on civil counts that include assault and battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violating his civil rights.

Through his complaint, Noginski says he was standing outside Shaloh House when Awad came up to him, "brandishing a gun" - which authorities later said was a BB gun. Awad demanded the keys to Noginski's van, which the rabbi gave him. And then, Awad, still waving the gun, demand Noginski get in the van:

Rabbi Noginski at this point feared that Mr. Awad planned to kill him, and not simply to steal the van. He also feared for the lives of the students who were inside the building.

In order to divert Mr. Awad from the school, Rabbi Noginski began to run away from Mr. Awad, who pursued him.

Mr. Awad caught up to Rabbi Noginski and in broad daylight began to attack him.

In an assault that lasted over a number of minutes, Mr. Awad stabbed Rabbi Noginski eight times, causing serious bodily injury.

As a result of the Defendant's conduct, Rabbi Noginski sustained medical treatment, medical bills, lost earning capacity, scarring and disfigurement, pain and suffering, physical impairment, and emotional damages.

The complaint says that the rabbi's lawyers will introduce evidence of Awad's hatred of Jews to make their case. In November, 2022, Suffolk Superior Court Judge Sarah Weyland Ellis rejected a request from Awad's attorney to dismiss the entire case because prosecutors had not shown Awad saying anything to Noginski about his religion, writing prosecutors had shown the grand jury that indicted him enough evidence to at least have the matter go to trial:

In summary, the Grand Jury was presented with evidence that the defendant attacked a Rabbi on the property of a Jewish day school in view of a large menorah and while the Rabbi was clothed in garments identifying his status as a Rabbi or at least a member of the Jewish faith. While the allegations do not include the defendant making antisemitic statements at the time of the attack, the Grand Jury was presented with evidence of the defendant's past antisemitic statements in the state of Florida. I find the evidence presented to the Grand Jury was sufficient to establish probable cause of a civil rights violations ...

Innocent, etc.