# Musical Prodigy Sues And Wins After Girlfriend Deletes His Scholarship Offer



## Southernbella. (Jun 15, 2018)

This Clarinetist's Career Was Derailed By His Ex-Girlfriend Who Deleted His Scholarship Letter

*Eric Abramovitz had been training for this moment for nearly his entire life: the opportunity to study under one of the best clarinet teachers on the planet, on a full-ride scholarship to a prestigious music conservatory in Los Angeles.*

The college sophomore from Canada was already an elite musician, having won a slew of awards and delivering stunning solo performances in his home country's top symphonies. And completing his bachelor's degree at Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles on a full scholarship, worth about $50,000 a year, was a dream he had been working toward since he was 7 years old.

After a lengthy and competitive audition process, he was one of two students to receive the honor that would jump-start his career.* It should have been a seminal moment in the 20-year-old's life, but he instead ended up devastated when he later got a rejection email.*

"I was numb when I read the email. I had to read it a few more times," Abramovitz, now 24, told BuzzFeed News on Thursday. "When I found out I didn't get it, it was really hard to deal with. I went through some really dark, sad, angry days."

*Little did he know, his girlfriend at the time was the one who had sent the heartbreaking rejection.*

*At the time, Abramovitz was dating Jennifer Lee and both were both serious musicians at McGill. They had recently moved in together and things "became serious very fast," he explained.*

What happened next, outlined in interviews and court documents filed in Abramovitz's successful lawsuit against Lee, paint the picture of a promising "what if" life trajectory knocked off its rails by what a Canadian judge called "despicable interference" by a selfish girlfriend.

Lee did not respond to BuzzFeed News' request for comment.* But according to the lawsuit, when she found the acceptance email from Colburn's clarinet master, Yehuda Gilad, in March 2014, she panicked and, afraid of losing her boyfriend to the opportunity of a lifetime, sprung into action.* *She hacked into Abramovitz's email account (he left his email and Facebook open all the time because "trust," he said), intercepted Yehuda's offer, and replied.*

*Posing as Abramovitz, she told the famed musician that he was rejecting the scholarship because he "would be elsewhere." Then she deleted the evidence and created another email, [email protected] and, acting as Gilad, wrote her boyfriend an email that just about broke him: He had ultimately been rejected.*

"We were living together at the time so she was the one to console me when I found out," he recalled. "It's really sick now that I look back on it."

*In her impersonated rejection email, Lee (aka Gilad) instead offered the college student a spot at University of Southern California with a little help of $5,000 a year for an annual tuition of about $51,000, plus living expenses — an offer she knew he couldn't afford. So a devastated Abramovitz replied to the fake Gilad, turning down the offer and choosing to stay at McGill to finish his degree.*

*Six months after #emailgate, the couple broke up* because, as he put it, "things were getting too intense and some things just weren't working out."

*Still bent on studying under the esteemed Gilad, however, Abramovitz decided to audition for a place at USC, where Gilad also taught, after graduating from McGill.

Standing in front of the same man who had "rejected" him years earlier was daunting, the 24-year-old said, and he could feel some tension in the air once he completed his set.

"We went into a room to chat after I finished and he asked me what I was doing here,"Abramovitz said. "He was like, 'You rejected me. Why are you here?'"*

The young musician froze, utterly perplexed.

"I was like, 'Uh, no, you rejected me,' and he was like, 'No, you did,' and we had this awkward exchange where we kept going back and forth like that and I thought maybe he had confused me with someone else," Abramovitz laughed.

*While he wasn't offered another full scholarship, Abramovitz said he was awarded a position at USC's certificate program and began studying under Gilad,*though he couldn't shake the sneaking feeling something was off.

Then, a few months later, one of Gilad's former students approached Abramovitz after a performance to say hello and ask him a question: "Why didn't you study at Colburn when you had the chance?"

Taken aback, Abramovitz's mind began to spin, concluding that "there must be something I don't know if everyone thinks I got in."

So he began to dig. *He went back to the "rejection" email and sent it to Gilad, who confirmed that it was certainly not his email address and he had never sent it.*

Finding out that he had actually been accepted was one of the most "shattering" moments of his life, Abramovitz said. But he still didn't suspect that his ex would be the person behind it, surmising that it was another clarinetist "who wanted my demise."

Enlisting the help of some "computer people," Abramovitz tried to trace the account, "but to no avail." *It wasn't until his friends started prodding, suggesting, "What about Jen?" that he began to wonder. The two had lived together; she had access to his computer and email and knew his passwords.*

"It would have been so easy for her," he said.

Although "it hurt to even confront the possibility" that his ex-girlfriend would have derailed his career in such a way, *he and his friends began to test passwords he knew she used and, after several attempts, he was in Gilad's fake email account.*

"It was very Sherlock Holmes-y and we were so excited about our detective work, but it was a simultaneous stab to the heart and back," he said.

*Once he pieced together all that had transpired a few years earlier, he immediately informed his professor, contacted Lee, and hired an attorney.*

*"At first she tried to deny it, but the evidence I had was overwhelming," Abramovitz said. "Then she blocked me on social media and we only spoke to each other through lawyers."*

*On Wednesday, an Ontario Superior Court judge sided with Abramovitz, who had sued his ex-girlfriend for $300,000 in general damages, including for loss of reputation, loss of educational opportunity, and loss of two years of potential income.*

As a bonus, the judge tacked on an extra $50,000 “against Ms. Lee for her despicable interference in Mr. Abramovitz’s career.”

*Lee did not respond multiple times to the court action, effectively squelching any legal defense she may attempt to mount going forward.*

"A defendant who has been noted in default is deemed to admit the truth of all allegations of fact made in the statement of claim," the judge wrote.

Speaking from his apartment in Tennessee, where he has been performing as part of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, the musician said he is still shocked and hurt by the dramatic ordeal, but he never let it knock him off course.

"It's very hard to know what my path would have been had this not happened," he said. "But I am happy and proud of myself because I landed on my feet. I have no regrets. I have always aspired to make a living doing what I love, and I have, so I am very fortunate."

In fact, he is moving back to Canada, having just accepted a position with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as its associate principal clarinet and E flat clarinet. He is also in another relationship, which he describes as "awesome."

"We're really happy," he said. "I would like to think that since my first relationship my judgment of character has improved just a little bit."

In an interview on AM to DM, Abramovitz said what his ex-girlfriend did was the "ultimate betrayal."

"But then, to still have the opportunity to go work with [Gilad] was obviously my goal from the beginning," he said. "It had to be two years later at a different school that obviously cost a lot more than Colburn would've cost, but luckily it wasn't all bad in the end. I still got to do what I set out to do.


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## OhTall1 (Jun 15, 2018)

How selfish!


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## alex114 (Jun 15, 2018)

Oh my gosh. That is so horrible, I can't even imagine. My husband is a musician, and the pain of something like that....it would probably kill his spirit for good. People do such evil things for very little reason.


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## anilyn (Jun 15, 2018)

I wonder if he'll ever see a penny of that award.


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## Southernbella. (Jun 15, 2018)

He's a lot calmer about it than a lot of people would be. She got lucky in that regard. Just evil!


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## weaveadiva (Jun 15, 2018)

What kind of partner doesn't want you to succeed? Loser.


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## Atthatday (Jun 15, 2018)

Pure vile evilness. There are people out here who would love to see one’s demise, for pure selfishness.


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## PrissiSippi (Jun 15, 2018)

My ex boyfriend had this done to him. He had gotten accepted into the police academy which was his childhood dream but the gf went through the mail and threw the offer away and brought it up when they later got into an arguement. So petty and narcissistic to me.


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## MzLady78 (Jun 15, 2018)

What an evil little psycho.


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## GeorginaSparks (Jun 15, 2018)

Of course she's Asian. They're sinister like that.


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## Kanky (Jun 15, 2018)

She’s horrible. She will probably file for bankruptcy and avoid paying him. It’s a shame that she won’t be charged criminally.


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## Miss617 (Jun 15, 2018)

Wow! I can't even fathom doing something so cruel. How crushing to find out someone he cared about and trusted took away his dream. But I'm glad he bounced back.


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## Black Ambrosia (Jun 15, 2018)

Southernbella. said:


> Finding out that he had actually been accepted was one of the most "shattering" moments of his life, Abramovitz said. *But he still didn't suspect that his ex would be the person behind it, surmising that it was another clarinetist "who wanted my demise."*


Idk why but this line took me out. Dude really thought another clarinetist conspired against him?


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## FlowerHair (Jun 15, 2018)

I can’t even imagine this level of selfishness!! I hope her own music career is going down the drain permanently! 

What a witch!! Her future husband better watch out. She’s capable of anything.


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## Gin&Tonic (Jun 15, 2018)

I wonder how many of us in life have been derailed by friends and loved ones. I’m sure this kind of thing happens a lot. Folks are so selfish.


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## intellectualuva (Jun 15, 2018)

She's ridiculous! 

Its funny. It must be my old age and pessimism because my first conversation with Gilead would've had me checking those emails and asking him about and assuming she had something to do with it, even if she didn't do it herself. smh


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## Farida (Jun 16, 2018)

So many questions...but when I was doing law school and doctoral apps tbey not only emailed me but sent me something in the mail as well. Did these schools NOT do that or did ole girl trash those as well?


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## Naveah2050 (Jun 16, 2018)

How despicable


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## Theresamonet (Jun 16, 2018)

Not surprised the girlfriend is an Asian woman.


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## metro_qt (Jun 16, 2018)

Y'all!!
She had done it to him before!!!!!! 

*Abramovitz also said she did a similar thing involving fake emails with his successful application to the Juilliard School in New York, causing him to decline it."*

Also, he's not sure if he will be able to collect,  he said,  since she's blocked him, the lawyers,  and didn't show up to court.


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## Shula (Jun 16, 2018)

Jail sounds about right. If you are hacking into folk's email without permission. Impersonating them and educational institutions, jail sounds perfect. You cannot tamper/enter a person's actual mailbox; I believe it's considered a felony. Let her have her due after she narc'd out on this man and (toyed) gaslit him with another offer she knew he couldn't take because she wanted to be laying up under him. The height of selfishness. Who doesn't want to see someone they love achieve all the success they have the potential to? A narc.


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## luckiestdestiny (Jun 16, 2018)

Black Ambrosia said:


> Idk why but this line took me out. Dude really thought another clarinetist conspired against him?


Why not. Competition is fierce on these levels. It is possible in any creative field where there are stakes on the line. Heck it is possible in_ any_ field where there is a lot of competition and high stakes:  In gymnastics didn't that one girl, Nancy Kerrigan, get cracked in the knee by a jealous rival's hubby's friend or someone like that?

If a duling clarinetist wanted him to drop out so that they could receive three hundred thousand dollars worth of educational opportunity, it is possible that they could be that sinister as well.  The girlfriend doesn't surprise me though. Some horrible people make decisions everyday to try to alter the course of other people's lives (taking sperm out of condoms and repurposing to try to get pregnant, etc) because they want what they want and don't care about the consequences.  I used to be shocked when I read stories of selfishness and now I just shrug and hope that I can weed out selfish people  , focus on the good people and being one myself, and kim.

At least the story has a somewhat happy ending. Evil lost this time and good had a back bone (instead of sitting around just being good and letting people walk over them).  I appreciate that he took her butt to court. Two thumbs up.  I would make sure that I would garnish every. single. check. for. the.rest.of.her.sad. pathetic. life  until I got back every penny.  Let this be a deterrent to other horrible selfish people, so that at least something stops them in their tracks when they are thinking of ruining someone else's lives. Hey they're selfish, so they are going to think about how_ their_ life will be ruined if they are caught doing something  especially with the judge setting an example like this one.


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## luckiestdestiny (Jun 16, 2018)

FlowerHair said:


> I can’t even imagine this level of selfishness!! I hope her own music career is going down the drain permanently!
> 
> What a witch!! Her future husband better watch out. She’s capable of anything.


This reminds me of that married lady thread where she threw out the daughter's keepsakes of her dead mother. The one who married the widowerer with the daughter and was so jealous of a deceased person that she threw away every single memory, picture, and keepsake of her preventing her step daughter from having any tie to her mom (and also her hubby).  That's another selfish person for you that knows how to go too far.

I'm certain that this woman is equally capable of future heinous stuff. If she did this there is more that she has probably done and gotten away with  and more that she might do in the future. Only something like this, if enforced, will have her think twice before going on a selfish rampage again. But then she might just find a way to be_ smarter_  about getting away with it.


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## luckiestdestiny (Jun 16, 2018)

Farida said:


> So many questions...but when I was doing law school and doctoral apps tbey not only emailed me but sent me something in the mail as well. Did these schools NOT do that or did ole girl trash those as well?


I was wondering about this but maybe she intercepted his mail? Maybe he thought the acceptance was only via email. I know my phd program accepted me via email though, but I think I clicked some paperless option.   NYU grad school was the same way for me previously.  So you could log in to see but also you would get an email update.  This may be more common for grad school(if you click the paperless option) and it seems he already was in undergrad at the time so I assume he was either transferring or going to grad/professional schools. Either way, he might have checked the paperless option thingy versus when you're first applying to college and your parents are sending in a lot of stuff for you to help you (and your guidance counselor and on and on).    I would assume if he received the email, he wouldn't want to log in and see the rejection letter because it would hurt too much so he just assumed, oh well. That's that. Now this is just my guess.

The only other option is he tore up the mail letter which would arrive much later than the email. I could see someone doing that after receiving the email because why bother to re read your rejection another time.


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## luckiestdestiny (Jun 16, 2018)

metro_qt said:


> Y'all!!
> She had done it to him before!!!!!!
> 
> *Abramovitz also said she did a similar thing involving fake emails with his successful application to the Juilliard School in New York, causing him to decline it."*
> ...


Okays so he's also stupid. Stupid for staying with her and allowing her to screw him yet again. I give him props for growing a back bone later but that is a hard way to learn.

He should be able to collect as he has a judgment. I know someone who used to do this for a living but I had to look up how it works because I wanted nothing to do with it. At the time they were saying I could make big money by finding these judgments and enforcing them for people, thus getting a percentage  but I just didn't want to harp on someone else's pain. In this case though I'd gladly do it because she is just a horrible person. It's not like a person who just couldn't pay something and is probably broke and didn't set out to do anything wrong other than be poor, in this case it is a person who decided to screw someone else over intentionally and in that case I don't care about their economic status, I just care about him getting back what he deserves:


https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/collect-court-judgment-wage-garnishment-30146.html
*Collect Your Court Judgment With a Wage Garnishment*
*If the debtor has a job, you may be able to grab up to 25% of his or her wages.*
Updated By Kathleen Michon, J.D.



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If you have won a court judgment against someone with a decent job, you may be able to intercept up to 25% of his or her wages to satisfy your judgment. This process, permitted in nearly every state, is called a wage garnishment.


*When You Can Garnish Wages*
You can garnish wages relatively quickly and cheaply if:


the debtor receives a regular wage (he or she isn't self-employed)
the debtor's pay is above the poverty line
other wage garnishments aren't already in effect (unless your debt is for child or spousal support), and
the debtor does not quit the job, contest the garnishment, or file for bankruptcy.
*Whether You Should Garnish Wages*
The threat of a wage garnishment is often a strong impetus for a debtor to make arrangements to pay off a judgment because many people want to avoid the embarrassment and inconvenience of having their salary reduced.

Also, even though a federal law bars an employer from firing an employee whose wages are garnished due to a single judgment, most employees believe that a garnishment won't win them brownie points with their bosses. And the law does not bar an employer from firing an employee for multiple wage garnishments from different judgments (although some state laws do prevent this).

However, a wage garnishment _could_ produce the opposite effect of what you want -- pushing a debtor to quit the job or, worse, file for bankruptcy. If you choose to garnish wages, remember that you walk a fine line between making great progress on collecting your judgment and closing off the possibility of collecting. Keep in mind, however, that if your debt is for child support, bankruptcy won't wipe out the debtor's obligation to pay you.

*How to Garnish Wages*
A wage garnishment requires little effort on your part. Procedures vary by state and locality, but usually you give the sheriff or other local official (called the "levying officer") information about where the judgment debtor works. The levying officer serves the garnishment order on the employer and the employer is required to withhold the proper amount of money (which is limited, see below) which then goes to you.

To find out more about the procedures in your area, visit your state's Department of Labor website.

*Limits on Wage Garnishments*
Under federal law, you cannot garnish more than:


25% of the debtor's disposable earnings (what's left after mandatory deductions),
or the amount by which the debtor's wages exceed 30 times the minimum wage, whichever is lower.
If your judgment is for child or spousal support, you can garnish up to 50% of the debtor's take-home pay (55% if the debtor is 12 or more weeks in arrears). If the judgment debtor does not currently support a spouse or child, you can garnish up to 60% of the wages (65% if the debtor is 12 or more weeks in arrears).

Some states have even lower wage garnishment limits. If a state wage garnishment law results in a smaller garnishment, the state law must be followed. To find the garnishment rules in your state, visit our Wage Garnishment topic page.

*Additional Limitations and Obstacles*
You face some additional limitations -- or at least potential obstacles -- in a few situations.

*Debtor is already subject to another garnishment.* You cannot garnish wages if they are already being garnished by another creditor, unless (1) the first garnishment takes less than 25% of the debtor's disposable income (or whatever the state limit is), or (2) you have a judgment for alimony or child support.

*The debtor's wages are "exempt." *Each state has a set of exemptions that protect certain types of property. (To learn how this works, see When Exemptions Protect Wages From Garnishment.) Most states offer a head of household or head of family exemption. You may claim this exemption if you provide more than 50% of the support for a child or other dependant. This exemption protects all of your wages unless you agree to a wage garnishment in writing.

*Debtor's income is not wages. *For the most part regular judgment creditors cannot get a debtor's social security, disability, retirement, child support, and alimony.

To learn more about collecting court judgments, see _Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court_, by Ralph Warner (Nolo).


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## IslandMummy (Jun 16, 2018)

Black Ambrosia said:


> Idk why but this line took me out. Dude really thought another clarinetist conspired against him?


Girl yes. The stakes are high, the spots few and competition fierce to get into these programs.


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## BEAUTYU2U (Jun 16, 2018)

I scrolled through fast to see their pics. Don't she just look nuts? Stage five clinger. That's some sadistic stuff right there.


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## metro_qt (Jun 16, 2018)

luckiestdestiny said:


> *Judgment With a Wage Garnishment*
> *If the debtor has a job, you may be able to grab up to 25% of his or her wages.*


@luckiestdestiny 
You forget we're Canadian,  our legal system doesn't work the same.

I think when he wrote that he wouldn't be able to collect, he had already been in the process of trying, the Montreal Gazette had stated.

Here's how it works in Ontario:
The onus is on YOU the creditor to find out where the person lives and what assets they have in order to file a writ. 

He's havinga hard time accessing her in any way, since she's disappeared/blocked him

"*Ontario does not have a “province-wide” registry for filing writs. Instead, Ontario is divided into districts, each with a separate sheriff’s office that can enforce writs only for property located in that particular district. The practical consequence is that a creditor will have to determine the location(s) in Ontario of debtor’s property, and file a writ with the sheriff’s office for each district where property is located. A creditor can file a writ of seizure and sale within six years of obtaining an order or judgment. A writ must be renewed every six years after the date of filing or it will expire."*


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## Farida (Jun 16, 2018)

luckiestdestiny said:


> I was wondering about this but maybe she intercepted his mail? Maybe he thought the acceptance was only via email. I know my phd program accepted me via email though, but I think I clicked some paperless option.   NYU grad school was the same way for me previously.  So you could log in to see but also you would get an email update.  This may be more common for grad school(if you click the paperless option) and it seems he already was in undergrad at the time so I assume he was either transferring or going to grad/professional schools. Either way, he might have checked the paperless option thingy versus when you're first applying to college and your parents are sending in a lot of stuff for you to help you (and your guidance counselor and on and on).    I would assume if he received the email, he wouldn't want to log in and see the rejection letter because it would hurt too much so he just assumed, oh well. That's that. Now this is just my guess.
> 
> The only other option is he tore up the mail letter which would arrive much later than the email. I could see someone doing that after receiving the email because why bother to re read your rejection another time.


Plus things change so fast. It’s been a few years since I was doing applications so you’re probably right, there’s probably a 100% paperless option now.


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## Queenie (Jun 16, 2018)

I like that this woman's desperation to cling to this man backfired, and he broke up with her 6 months later. She was probably smothering him. Hopefully, any new man that she is with will see this story and be warned.

I'm glad that he still went for his dream.


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## Atthatday (Jun 16, 2018)

@Queenie: Exactly, she wanted to lay around with him, committed crimes to keep him with her, and guess what? She’s still NOT with him.

Then again, she’s mean and miserable. She may have thought, whether we’re together or not, I don’t want him to be successful. Treacherous!!

I hope every person reads the article and stays away from her. A hopeful wish, because one can change their appearance, name, etc., very easily, and continue on with ratchet behavior.


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## luckiestdestiny (Jun 16, 2018)

metro_qt said:


> @luckiestdestiny
> You forget we're Canadian,  our legal system doesn't work the same.
> 
> I think when he wrote that he wouldn't be able to collect, he had already been in the process of trying, the Montreal Gazette had stated.
> ...


Oh shoot. Okay that's right. I'm thinking about him being in the U.S for school and thinking maybe they are both here now and the ruling was under our courts. But then that would still be complicated.

After reading your rules:
That sucks. I would have to have a detective on that especially if you only have ix years to file.  I might as well go all the way since she had to go there. I mean he had enough to go to court why not go the extra step...you know just because  .


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## [email protected]@ (Jun 16, 2018)

If I was his mother I'd mess her up. Real talk.


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## DeepBluSea (Jun 16, 2018)

God help her future mate and children. 

I know people who chose a mate over their dream job/school/etc. Never works out.


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## FlowerHair (Jun 16, 2018)

[email protected]@ said:


> If I was his mother I'd mess her up. Real talk.


I didn’t want to say that, but yes. Mess with my child’s dreams and I’ll mess with you.


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## metro_qt (Jun 16, 2018)

luckiestdestiny said:


> Oh shoot. Okay that's right. I'm thinking about him being in the U.S for school and thinking maybe they are both here now and the ruling was under our courts. But then that would still be complicated.
> 
> After reading your rules:
> That sucks. I would have to have a detective on that especially if you only have ix years to file.  I might as well go all the way since she had to go there. I mean he had enough to go to court why not go the extra step...you know just because  .


@luckiestdestiny 
She ruins my life, you damn skippy I am setting up a go fund me to get a private detective to find her and my 300 000$ !!!

The gall and nerve of her!


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## nyeredzi (Jun 17, 2018)

Wow, so she can avoid judgement by blocking his number and blocking him on social media? He should put out a social media campaign, "find Jennifer Lee!" Maybe someone will see this who knows her and will send him an email.


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## Ganjababy (Jun 17, 2018)

Canada does not even recognize prenups. Kisses teeth...


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## nysister (Jun 17, 2018)

It does not surprise me that she is who she is but white guys like them seemingly docile.{shrugs}. He should have seen this or something else sadistic and/or manipulative coming a mile away. People just don't suddenly become evil.


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## momi (Jun 18, 2018)

Now you know that's low down.


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## PretteePlease (Jun 18, 2018)

If you gotta do alluhdat...


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