LOS ANGELES, Jan 22, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – The ousted chief of the organization
behind the Grammys filed a complaint on Tuesday accusing the Recording
Academy of putting her on leave after she raised concerns about sexual
harassment, voting irregularites and other misconduct.
Deborah Dugan says in her 44-page complaint before the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission in Los Angeles that the Academy retaliated against her
after she detailed the misconduct in December.
In her most explosive charge against the National Academy of Recording
Arts and Sciences, Dugan says that she was asked to hire her predecessor,
Neil Portnow, as a consultant despite allegations that he had raped a foreign
female recording artist, “which was, upon information and belief, the real
reason his contract was not renewed.”
Dugan’s sexual harassment and discrimination allegation comes just days
before the Grammy Award ceremony is set to be held in Los Angeles on Sunday.
The complaint states that on December 22, she sent an email to the head of
the Academy’s human resources department saying she had been sexually
harassed by Joel Katz, an attorney who is general counsel to the Academy.
“The email also detailed egregious conflicts of interest, improper self-
dealing by Board members and voting irregularities with respect to
nominations for Grammy Awards, all made possible by the ‘boys club’ mentality
and approach to governance at the Academy,” the complaint states.
It adds that after sending the email, Dugan put the Academy on notice that
she planned to take legal action.
Dugan alleges that the Academy retaliated against her by putting her on
leave on trumped-up charges of misconduct.
Dugan replaced Portnow last May, becoming the first woman to lead the
Recording Academy.
– Music’s biggest night stolen –
In her complaint, she claims that an unidentified recording artist accused
Portnow of raping her following a performance she gave at Carnegie Hall in
New York.
Portnow could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday.
In a statement to AFP, the Recording Academy disputed Dugan’s claims and
said her actions would cast a shadow over the upcoming awards show.
“It is curious that Ms Dugan never raised these grave allegations until a
week after legal claims were made against her personally by a female employee
who alleged Ms Dugan had created a ‘toxic and intolerable’ work environment
and engaged in ‘abusive and bullying conduct,'” the statement reads.
It adds that a probe was underway to review Dugan’s potential misconduct
and her allegations.
“Ms Dugan was placed on administrative leave only after offering to step
down and demanding $22 million from the Academy, which is a not-for-profit
organization,” the statement said.
“Our loyalty will always be to the 25,000 members of the recording
industry. We regret that Music’s Biggest Night is being stolen from them by
Ms Dugan’s actions and we are working to resolve the matter as quickly as
possible.”
Howard Weitzman, an attorney representing Katz, dismissed Dugan’s sexual
harassment allegation saying his client “categorically and emphatically
denies” the charge.
“Ms Dugan’s allegations of harassment and her description of a dinner at
the steakhouse in The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel (near Los Angeles) are
false,” he told AFP.
“Ms Dugan’s claims are made, for the first time, seven months after this
dinner took place,” he added. “Mr Katz will cooperate in any and all
investigations or lawsuits by telling the absolute and whole truth. Hopefully
Ms Dugan will do the same.”
The 2020 Grammy celebration was to be the first under Dugan, who took over
as Academy chief last summer after Portnow came under fire by saying women
should “step up” for increased recognition.
When the Grammy nominees were announced in November, Dugan had heralded “a
new era for the Recording Academy,” pointing to “an army of engaged members
that welcomes diversity, embraces creativity and champions young musicians on
the rise.”
In 2018 the organization created a task force in response to a major
backlash that the Grammys are consistently too male and too white.