LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Los Angeles Opera says its investigation of former General Director Placido Domingo has found sexual harassment allegations against him to be credible, it was reported today.
In a summary of results released to the Los Angeles Times, L.A. Opera said its investigator interviewed 44 people, yielding 10 allegations of inappropriate conduct between 1986, when L.A. Opera named Domingo artistic advisor, and October 2019, when he resigned as general director, a post he had held since 2003.
Citing the privacy and protection of anonymous sources, a spokeswoman for L.A. Opera said details on the nature of the inappropriate conduct would not be released publicly, nor would the full report. But the summary did note that in an interview with the investigator, the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, that Domingo “denied all allegations of unwanted contact and maintained that all his interactions were consensual.”
The Times reached out to Domingo for comment on the investigation, but a spokeswoman said he had nothing to add at this time.
“The level of discomfort reported by the women varied, ranging from some women stating they were not uncomfortable to others who described significant trauma,” the investigation summary said. “Some individuals stated that they felt discouraged to report misconduct due to Mr. Domingo*s importance and stature.”
L.A. Opera said the full report was orally presented to the company's board and key executive staff members.
The report's findings mark the end of a traumatic chapter in company history that began in August when allegations first surfaced against Domingo and reached a plateau late last month when the American Guild of Musical Artists, which represents opera performers, released findings of its own sexual harassment investigation, concluding that Domingo engaged in “inappropriate activity, ranging from flirtation to sexual advances, in and outside of the workplace.”
The L.A. Opera investigation summary noted that Gibson Dunn found the Domingo accusers to be credible “in part because of the similarities in their accounts,” The Times reported. Gibson Dunn often found Domingo “to be sincere in his denials but found some of them to be less credible or lacking in awareness,” the summary said.
L.A. Opera said the Gibson Dunn investigation team, led by Debra Wong Yang, interviewed 44 people including those who reported misconduct, L.A. Opera management and board members. Anonymity was granted in cases where it was requested, the company said.
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