Finlay Resigns, Catazaro and Ramasar Suspended -- Update: Catazaro and Ramasar Fired

[cobweb]

There are definitely multiple Craig Halls. In fact, I think one of the dancers married someone by that name last year. If it were the Craig Hall on the interim team, that surely would have been noted prominently.

[Rick]

5 minutes ago, mille-feuille said:

Item 57 of the court document names Craig Hall as someone who was part of the text/ email chain and voiced his enjoyment of the images/ video(s). But he's identified as a former student at SAB rather than a member of the interim team. Are there two Craig Halls? To think that a member of the interim team might be involved in this... It makes me sick.

I assumed it's a different Craig Hall in the email chain since there were no other suspensions or resignations. Catazaro and Ramasar were specifically named as recipients of the emails and photos from Finlay.

Edited September 5, 2018 by Rick

[fondoffouettes]

2 minutes ago, Rick said:

I assumed it's a different Craig Hall in the email chain since there were no other suspensions or resignations. Catazaro and Ramasar were specifically named as recipients of the emails and photos from Finlay.

I'm guessing it must be the (straight) Craig Hall who married Erica Pereira. It's in this thread:

 

 

[FITTB85]

Wow! This is so much worse than I thought it was.  

As many of you have stated you do not follow the dancers closely on social media.  I am a millennial and therefore I follow extremely closely. Since spring 2017 I have been waiting for someone to comment on the Finlay/Waterbury relationship, the age difference and proximity to SAB had been a red flag from the beginning.  I never expected the final outcome to be this bad.  

[abatt]

New York City Ballet is going to have difficulty raising funds from donors.  These allegations just reinforce the idea that the company is replete with adult men behaving like little boys.  I think this incident  helps tip the scale for hiring a woman as the new leader of NYCB.

[dirac]

57 minutes ago, abatt said:

This is the highest number of people I've seen on a topic at Ballet Alert since joining!

We rejoice in the number of NYCB fans here on the board (and thanks to all of them who post here). Also, sex sells.

What a catastrophe for the company, if even part of this is true. 

[Fraildove]

Abatt, I was posting at the same time on the thread about the AD Job Posting and said Just that. Obviously the women of NYCB have been neither safe, protected, or respected in their workplace and I cannot imagine the devistation that the entire company must feel right now. If there is photographic evidence, of dancers who have been photographed or videos without their knowledge or consent, especially being take. In the dressing rooms, I hope that they get at the very least, an apology from anyone and everyone that condoned it and tried to cover it up. And hopefully they will get much more, starting with an environment they can safely work in. 

[FPF]

I've just read the complaint and the allegations are truly disgusting.

The pictures and videos were shared at work and with people other than the three principal dancers, which does I think make the workplace an issue. 

Also, the NYT has just posted on this story: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/arts/dance/nyc-ballet-alexandra-waterbury.html

Apparently, Ms. Waterbury has been receiving threats.

I hope they select a female AD.

Edited September 5, 2018 by FPF

[mille-feuille]

Glad to hear that Interim Leader Craig Hall isn't the one named.

When I first heard about Chase's resignation and Amar and Zachary's suspension, I admit the only one I cared about was Amar as I've found Chase and Zachary to be uninspiring dancers. I fell trap to the belief that Amar's wonderful, noble dancing must mean that was a wonderful and noble person himself. I know it's a question that's come up time and again about separating the art from the artist, but this is the first time it's really hit home for me. I'm glad that Amar (and Zachary for that matter) doesn't seem to have engaged in behavior nearly as heinous as Chase's, but I doubt I'll be able to watch Amar's dancing with the same rapture as before. :\ This is just so disappointing all around.

[Dale]

Just read the court docs - ugly stuff. Extremely Inappropriate, if proven true (and it does seem as if copies of the correspondence has been captured). I think this comes from the top down. Agree with all who are saying how the female members of the company must be feeling (and I hope some of the men are disgusted with what has been going on!) and how new leadership is needed. This doesn't seem like a healthy workplace. 

[FPF]

50 minutes ago, cobweb said:

There are definitely multiple Craig Halls. In fact, I think one of the dancers married someone by that name last year.

Erica Pereira

[FauxPas]

The Craig Hall on the interim team is married to a man since 2012 per his public facing Facebook profile.

Meanwhile I gleaned this from the NY Times article:  "She has not gone to the police with her allegations, but is still considering the option, Mr. Merson [Waterbury's attorney] said."

This could get worse, much worse.

[Rick]

2 minutes ago, mille-feuille said:

I'm glad that Amar (and Zachary for that matter) doesn't seem to have engaged in behavior nearly as heinous as Chase's, but I doubt I'll be able to watch Amar's dancing with the same rapture as before. 😕 This is just so disappointing all around.

On the contrary, according to paragraphs 52-54 of the complaint, Amar sent Finlay the photo of a bare chested female ballet dancer, and "the two continued to exchange several sexual and naked photographs of female Ballet members on that day and at one point, Mr. Finlay noted how he had 'Already seen that one. l know you have more'."

If this is true, then Amar's behavior is equally reprehensible.

[ksk04]

This is so much more horrible than what I was expecting. I am shocked that Ramasar and Catazaro are only being suspended, especially considering that many female dancers at NYCB were potentially violated.

 

edit: reading the court documents, the allegations about other behavior (like the rehab, domestic violence, rape, assault) are even more horrific.

Edited September 5, 2018 by ksk04

[canbelto]

Wow this is awful. I read the court complaint and Lexi Maxwell was named as a dancer whose photos/videos got passed around. 

I certainly hope Catazaro and Ramasar don't return.

[FauxPas]

Ramasar has never exactly been a boy scout.  Lest we forget:

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/ballet-dancer-pleads-guilty-cocaine-charges-article-1.237922

[nanushka]

I wonder if NYCB had any heads-up that this lawsuit was likely. Do the two suspensions really remain viable responses for the company now? Can Ramasar and Catazaro really return to the stage as soon as winter season? How will audiences receive them? (Obviously the workplace dynamics are also a concern.)

[mille-feuille]

12 hours ago, canbelto said:

Wow this is awful. I read the court complaint and Lexi Maxwell was named as a dancer whose photos/videos got passed around. 

I certainly hope Catazaro and Ramasar don't return.

Where was Lexi Maxwell named as a dancer whose photos were passed around? Item 61 says that Chase "offered to share Ms. Waterbury with Mr. Ramasar and Alexa Maxwell" -- almost sounds like Lexi Maxwell was joining Amar in looking at the photos/ videos.

I too hope they don't return. If they do, I will go out of my way to avoid them.

[mille-feuille]

Just now, canbelto said:

I believe Lauren Lovette is the young woman to whom Chase Finlay was engaged to for over a year. 

I believe Lauren Lovette is the young woman to whom Chase Finlay was engaged to for over a year. 

She was, and if these allegations are true I would be surprised if Finlay *didn't* have material of Lovette taken without her consent. I was just wondering where that was in the court document.

[Rick]

12 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

Ramasar has never exactly been a boy scout.  Lest we forget:

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/ballet-dancer-pleads-guilty-cocaine-charges-article-1.237922

The link was about Nilas Martins, not Amar - or did I miss something?

[FPF]

3 minutes ago, Rick said:

The link was about Nilas Martins, not Amar - or did I miss something?

Amar was the other dancer in the car who the lawyer said his client (Martins) was protecting.

[canbelto]

This paragraph is gross:

Quote

Defendant CHASE FINLAY also repeatedly asked another NEW YORK CITY BALLET, INC. principal for explicit photographs of a female Ballet member which were shared by the Principal on demand. The two also engaged in a group chat with another male Ballet member who suggested the three men "...get like half a kilo [of cocaine] and pour it over the [female ballet members] and just violate them" to which defendant responded with two 'thumbs-up emoticons. Defendants coworkers continued on stating "I bet we could tie some of them up and abuse them... Like farm animals" to which defendant responded, "Or like the sluts they are".

 

[Fraildove]

The fact that the board had the complaint and felt that all three only deserved a small suspension makes me sick on a whole other level. They clearly have shown that every bit has been lip service and that the safety and respect of the women this involved is worth nothing. I just don’t understand how a board can continue and continue to cover up, hide, downplay, and deny and then expect everything to be ok and wonder why their organization is being targeted. 😢😱🤔

[Kathleen O'Connell]

1 hour ago, abatt said:

 I think this incident  helps tip the scale for hiring a woman as the new leader of NYCB.

If they can find one who'd actually want to come and clean up this mess.

(OK, alleged mess.)

 

[Rick]

6 minutes ago, Fraildove said:

The fact that the board had the complaint and felt that all three only deserved a small suspension makes me sick on a whole other level. They clearly have shown that every bit has been lip service and that the safety and respect of the women this involved is worth nothing. I just don’t understand how a board can continue and continue to cover up, hide, downplay, and deny and then expect everything to be ok and wonder why their organization is being targeted. 😢😱🤔

I agree. The morale among NYCB's female dancers must be at a low point.