Speakers: Christopher Griffith; Meg Stone, IMPACT Boston
When a person who causes sexual harm won’t participate in an accountability process, organization leaders still can. In 2017, Gloucester Stage Company was the subject of a New York Times investigation of a decades-long pattern of sexual abuse by the theater’s founder. In response, the organization’s board and management undertook a deep and comprehensive accountability process that resulted in far-reaching changes to the theater’s policies, culture, and commitment to anti-oppression. After firing a PR consultant who told them to say as little as possible, Gloucester Stage committed to transparency about the past and created a new culture that values equity and respects bodily autonomy of performers. This session will show how accountability for past harm can lead to prevention of future harm.