“A longtime Spokane Symphony administrator resigned Wednesday after the organization learned of a semi-anonymous Twitter account that she used to promote racist conspiracy theories,” writes Chad Sokol in Wednesday’s (7/8) Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA). “In since-deleted tweets … Bethany Schoeff-Cotter referred to the Black Lives Matter movement as ‘a disease on this country’ … suggested the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis is a hoax [and] called those who wear masks to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus ‘idiots.’ … Schoeff-Cotter, 41, spent 11 years as the symphony’s personnel manager and more recently assumed the additional role of artistic administration director…. A classically trained oboist, she regularly performed with the orchestra…. She is married to the symphony’s general manager, Daniel Cotter…. Schoeff-Cotter offered her resignation after being confronted about the posts and seemed remorseful, Executive Director Jeff vom Saal said. ‘We don’t condone what she said, and we find it actually disheartening, disturbing,’ vom Saal said.… In a statement on its website, the symphony has pledged to conduct an internal ‘cultural audit,’ build a more racially diverse board of trustees, reestablish a partnership with the Spokane Tribe of Indians and be more inclusive in its musical and educational programming.”
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