2 Cleveland Orchestra Members Fired For Alleged Sexual Misconduct

CLEVELAND — Two members of the Cleveland Orchestra were fired after an internal investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct. William Preucil and Massimo La Rosa were suspended earlier this year after accusations from female musicians were unearthed.

The orchestra says its internal investigation uncovered evidence of sexual misconduct and sexually harassing behavior on the part of Preucil and La Rosa. The orchestra said their alleged abuses were made possible through the rank and influence within the organization.

“Mr. Preucil’s and Mr. La Rosa’s conduct was inappropriate, appalling and inconsistent with the expectations we have for the members of our orchestra, our staff and our board,” said Richard K. Smucker, president of the board of the Musical Arts Association. “We believe The Cleveland Orchestra should be a model for respect and trust in the way we treat our musicians, our staff and everyone with whom we work.”

Eleven women accused Preucil of sexual misconduct, according to the investigation. He allegedly offered women massages, made overt sexual advances, told lewd stories, and engaged "in sexual activity with a junior female colleague who was too afraid to stop the encounter due to Preucil’s forcible conduct and position of authority, requesting payment for lessons in the form of sexual favors, exposing himself, and making aggressive, unsolicited, and unwanted sexual advances," the report found.

Much of the testimony against the concertmaster was reportedly collaborated by witnesses, the report said. The earliest instance of misconduct may have taken place in 1996. The most recent accusation is from 2007. The youngest alleged victim is 17.

Accusations against Preucil first came to light in July. The orchestra said it formed an investigatory committee at that time.

La Rosa was principal trombonist. Seven women accused him of sexual misconduct. The earliest instance of alleged misconduct was in 2010, the latest in 2012. The youngest alleged victim was 17, the report said.

The trombonist is accused of touching female musicians without their permission, frequently in a manner that female colleagues described as "sexual" and "uncomfortable." Here is part of the Orchestra's report's findings on La Rosa:

During one-on-one lessons, La Rosa often told female students that they were “tense,” instructed them to lie on the floor, and then touched them inappropriately both over and under their clothes under the guise of instructing them in breathing exercises. He also partially removed students’ clothing or his own clothing during lessons. Debevoise received one report that La Rosa inappropriately kissed a student during a lesson, and one report that he engaged in aggressive, unwanted sexual contact with a female colleague.

"According to the investigation, women who were victims were intimidated by Mr. Preucil and Mr. La Rosa, and were afraid to take action after they were subjected to the unwelcome behavior. Details related to any specific individual will remain confidential and the identity of those who came forward will remain known only to the investigators," the orchestra said on Wednesday.

For two months, investigators interviewed more than 70 people, including members of the Cleveland Orchestra staff, individuals that had worked with or taken lessons from Preucil and La Rosa, former members of orchestra management, members of the board, and the two accused men. The results of the investigation were presented to the Cleveland Orchestra Board of Directors on Tuesday evening.

“We are grateful to everyone who came forward to help with this investigation and intend to move forward as an orchestra community with a clear resolve to be more responsive and protective of our musicians, staff and anyone with whom our people interact,” said André Gremillet, executive director of the orchestra.

The full investigatory report from the Cleveland Orchestra can be found by clicking here.

Adopting New Policies

Besides conducting an investigation into these accusations, the orchestra's internal investigatory committee also made recommendations to prevent future abuses of power. To that end, the orchestra's board approved a new, anti-harassment policy that expressly prohibits all forms and gradations of sexual misconduct and sexually harassing behavior. The orchestra said consequences for such behavior are clearly outlined in the new policy.

Orchestra members and staffers will also find a new set of ethical principles that they must adhere to, principles that were also adopted on Tuesday.

Finally, orchestra leadership said they are establishing a confidential hotline where orchestra members and staffers can report violations of the anti-harassment policy, ethical principles, or the law. The hotline will be run by a third-party and will allow complaints to be made anonymously.

“We want to thank the victims for having the courage to come forward, and we are truly sorry about the reprehensible behavior of the two members of The Cleveland Orchestra that caused them so much harm,” said Gremillet. “I can assure everyone in our community that providing a workplace where all are treated with dignity and respect is more than ever the expectation for anyone associated with the Orchestra. Our community is rightfully proud of the world-wide reputation The Cleveland Orchestra has for its musical excellence. We want to be equally known for the caliber of the environment in which that music is created.”

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