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Wednesday, 21 February 2018

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In the four months since the New York Times published its investigation into the years of sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein, the entertainment industry has seen a number of powerful figures called out for similar behavior — even executives responsible for so-called “family friendly” fare. New allegations have painted Disney Theatrical Productions president Thomas Schumacher in such a light.

According to several former employees, the head of Disney’s massively successful theater program (and one of the most powerful producers on Broadway), committed sexual harassment and used inappropriate language. However and according to Disney, there is no formal record of one of Schumacher’s accusers ever making a complaint about sexual harassment. Yet one accuser received severance pay and signed a non-disclosure agreement upon leaving over inappropriate comments. Per the Wall Street Journal:

Mr. Schumacher has offended numerous employees over the years with explicit language and behavior, including comments about subordinates’ sexual attractiveness, discussions about pornography and walking through the office in a bathrobe while boasting he had nothing on underneath, according to people who said they witnessed the episodes.

According to one witness, when confronted about the allegations, Schumacher, who is gay, has said that a straight executive would not receive the same criticism about inappropriate behavior or comments.

Schumacher, who has worked at Disney since 1988 and was involved in reviving the company’s animation division before taking over the theatrical division, was also recently named the president of The Broadway League, a “trade association of theater producers, and presenters that pushes Broadway-wide initiatives and negotiates with labor unions” that also is responsible for the Tony Awards.

(Via Variety and Wall Street Journal)