City Ballet's Peter Martins Takes Leave of Absence Following Sexual Harassment Allegation

The New York Times has reported that Peter Martins, leader of the New York City Ballet for the last three decades, has taken a leave of absence following a sexual harassment allegation.

City Ballet received an anonymous accusation of past harassment, which sparked an investigation into Martins. The specifics of the accusation are not known.

The company has confirmed that Martins requested a temporary leave of absence until the investigation is concluded.

In recent interviews, several current and former dancers have said that Martins is known for sleeping with dancers, some of which exchanged these sexual acts for better roles. Two dancers also said that Martins has a bad temper and could be physically rough with the dancers on occasion. One former dancer said in an interview that in 1989, Martins grabbed her by the shoulder and shook her, telling her he needed to "break her spirit."

Several more assault allegations are outlined in the full article, which can be read here.