Yesterday (January 21), Deborah Dugan, the outgoing Recording Academy president and CEO, filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) discrimination complaint against her former employers. Along with allegations of abuse of power and corruption in the Recording Academy, the complaint included allegations of rape against Dugan’s predecessor Neil Portnow. Portnow, whose presidential tenure ended in 2019, has responded to the allegations, calling them “ludicrous” and “untrue,” Variety reports.
In a statement, according to Variety, Portnow wrote, “This [EEOC] document is filled with inaccurate, false and outrageous and terribly hurtful claims against me.” He reportedly elaborated:
The allegations of rape are ludicrous, and untrue. The suggestion that there was is disseminating a lie. The baseless complaint about my conduct referenced in the EEOC filing was immediately brought to the attention of the Board of Director’s Executive Committee. An in-depth independent investigation by experienced and highly regarded lawyers was conducted and I was completely exonerated. There was no basis for the allegations and once again I deny them unequivocally.
Deborah Dugan also alleged in the EEOC discrimination complaint that the Recording Academy’s board of trustees asked Dugan to hire Portnow as a consultant for $750,000 following his resignation; she says that she refused. Portnow, in his statement, claims he never asked for the $750,000 consulting fee, according to Variety.
Find Neil Portnow’s full statement at Variety. Pitchfork has reached out to representatives for the Recording Academy and lawyers for Deborah Dugan.
Elsewhere in the EEOC complaint, Deborah Dugan also claims that Joel Katz, an attorney at the law firm Greenberg Trauig and also general counsel to the Recording Academy, displayed “disconcerting and utterly inappropriate” behavior toward Dugan at a private dinner. Katz also allegedly attempted to kiss Dugan at the end of dinner despite her stated and repeated disinterest, Dugan claims.
Katz’s lawyer Howard Weitzman has now responded to the claims, Billboard reports. Weitzman reportedly called the claims “false” and stated, “Mr. Katz believed they had a productive and professional meeting in a restaurant where a number of members of the Board of Trustees of the Academy, and others, were dining.”
Today, the women of the Recording Academy’s executive committee released the following statement in response to Dugan’s claims that it was a “boys’ club” working environment.
As women, voting members, creative artists and entrepreneurs who serve on the Board of Trustees of the Recording Academy, we are deeply committed to this organization and its affiliates and the good work that is done beyond the GRAMMY Awards—advocating for artists’ rights, providing critical assistance for music people in times of need and educating, mentoring and inspiring the next generation of music makers.
Along with our male colleagues, we have made great strides in increasing our diversity throughout the organization, both in leadership at the national level, within our twelve chapters around the country, and in the nominations. Diversity has always been a priority—although admittedly, not always easy to accomplish. The partnership with the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, led by Tina Tchen and established in May 2018, amplified those efforts, created a clear path to follow and opened the door to building even more bridges to the music community at large. We pledge to continue those efforts.
It is deeply disturbing to us – and quite frankly, heartbreaking—to witness the firestorm against our organization that has been unleashed. The Academy is keenly sensitive to any and all allegations of harassment or abuse, and we support the independent investigations that have been launched. Thank you for your patience as these continue.
We have collectively volunteered many years of service guiding and supporting this organization. We would not have taken precious time away from our families and careers if we felt that it was a “boys’ club.” We are leaders of this organization and fully committed to transformational change both within the Academy and within our industry at large.
We stand ready to address all concerns, allegations and accusations with facts in hand. In the meantime we continue to pursue our mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture.
Tammy Hurt, Vice-Chair Christine Albert, Chair Emeritus Leslie Ann Jones, Trustee, Executive Committee Member Terry Jones, Trustee, Executive Committee Member
Entertainment - Latest - Google News
January 23, 2020 at 12:14AM
https://ift.tt/37ljSVN
Ex-Grammys President Neil Portnow Calls Rape Allegations “Ludicrous” and “Untrue” - Pitchfork
Entertainment - Latest - Google News
https://ift.tt/2RiDqlG
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Ex-Grammys President Neil Portnow Calls Rape Allegations “Ludicrous” and “Untrue” - Pitchfork"
Post a Comment