The union has said that money would have covered the cost of its 4-month investigation, which involved hiring outside counsel, and funding sexual harassment training. But Schultz called it hush money that did a disservice to the women who stepped forward.
"This is a quid pro quo — silence in exchange for money," Schultz said in a resignation letter sent Monday to
Schultz, who wrote that he was acting “as a sexual assault survivor myself,” provided a copy of his letter to the AP.
In a statement to the AP, Egert denied any cover-up, saying the investigation's details were kept confidential to protect the identities of people who requested anonymity and that the union's leaders also felt the settlement could avoid formal disciplinary charges against Domingo that would require an internal hearing.
“Regrettably, due to Mr. Schultz’s admitted breach of confidentiality, the witnesses will now need to determine whether or not they will testify at a disciplinary hearing to prove the charges against
The union's investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations was one of two independent inquiries launched after multiple women accused Domingo of harassment and abusing his power in AP stories published last year. The second inquiry, still ongoing, was launched by
Last week,
According to people who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity, the investigation found that 27 people were sexually harassed or witnessed inappropriate behavior by Domingo in the 1990s and 2000s, when he held senior management positions at Washington National Opera and
Schultz' resignation came after the union launched an inquiry into who leaked the investigation's findings. In an internal email seen by the AP, Egert and Maynard said the deal fell apart because it “was expressly premised on
Last week, Domingo apologized to the women who accused him of misconduct, after denying the allegations for months. "I want them to know that I am truly sorry,” he said. "I accept full responsibility for my actions."
But two days later, as several Spanish concert halls moved to cancel his appearances, he issued a new statement saying his "apology was sincere and wholehearted,” but had generated a false impression. “I have never behaved aggressively toward anybody, nor have I ever done anything to obstruct or hurt the career of anybody,” he said.
Schultz said in his letter to Egert and Maynard that he felt they had “duped the board into believing Domingo was truly sorry," adding, "“As Domingo made clear when he retracted his apology, he is unrepentant and continues to believe that he did nothing wrong.”
In 2018, Schultz accused opera star
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission., source