Crime & Safety
Assault At Worcester Business Journal Photoshoot Postpones 40 Under Forty List
The assault happened at a July photoshoot for the 40 under Forty recipients, but the incident is still under investigation.
WORCESTER, MA — The Worcester Business Journal's annual 40 under Forty feature has been postponed this year due to an assault at an photoshoot for the list that "honors the rising stars of the Central Massachusetts' business community."
WBJ Editor Brad Kane discussed the incident in a column in the magazine's August edition. Kane did not release specifics about the incident because it is still under investigation. According to the column, an ambulance was called to a July photoshoot for the 40 under Forty list.
"During that July reception, there was an assault, and the police are actively investigating the incident. WBJ is fully cooperating with the police, providing whatever the investigators need in their efforts, which at this point includes not disclosing any more details. The safety of our event attendees is paramount to WBJ’s core values, and we are dumbfounded, outraged, and devastated this happened," Kane wrote.
Kane said assaults are more common than thought at business events, writing that the incident has revealed "a dark undercurrent in our society most would prefer not to discuss openly."
The list was supposed to be published Monday, but has been postponed to an unspecific date, Kane said.
"We remain committed to honoring the Class of 2023 members in all their glory, but now our top priorities are supporting in every way possible the person most impacted by the assault, as well as assisting the police in the investigation. Everything else seems trivial," he wrote.
