“A Baltimore Symphony Orchestra musician has filed a sexual harassment complaint against the orchestra with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging that the orchestra failed to take meaningful action against repeated allegations of harassment and retaliation,” write Anne Midgette and Peggy McGlone in Monday’s (9/17) Washington Post. “Principal oboe player Katherine Needleman said that Jonathan Carney, the orchestra’s concertmaster, approached her for sex … in 2005 and, since she rejected him, has engaged in a consistent pattern of retaliation…. According to the complaint, Needleman reported the harassment to the orchestra several times…. This March, the orchestra engaged an independent law firm to conduct an investigation, which concluded this month. ‘The report indicated that there has not been a hostile work environment,’ said Peter T. Kjome, the orchestra’s president and chief executive. ‘We take very seriously the allegations and are carefully reviewing the actions recommended in the report.’ Those recommendations included a suggestion that Carney be sent to sensitivity training and … anti-harassment training for all employees. Carney’s … attorney and spokesman Neil J. Ruther called the complaint ‘utterly frivolous.’ … Needleman said … ‘I am doing this because I want to make a wonderful workplace environment in an institution I love.’ ”
Posted September 18, 2018
