Broadway dancer Amar Ramasar reinstated by NY City Ballet

[JSquared2]

Per BWW 

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Arbitrator-Rules-Against-New-York-City-Ballet-Over-Inappropriate-Texts-20190422

 

 

 

 

[nealb1]

Very good news.  

[JSquared2]

Finally some common sense has prevailed.

 

[Alexander Lamar]

Why is this good news? What am I missing?

[Call_me_jorge]

Alexander Lamar said: "Why is this good news?What am I missing?"

It’s not good news. 

[bjh2114]

nealb1 said: "Very good news."

Um... why? His behavior is disgusting and sleezy.

[Fosse76]

Alexander Lamar said: "Why is this good news?What am I missing?"

Apparently some people are in support of the sexual harassment of women.

[Mister Matt]

It's not good news at all.  

[Brodo Swaggins]

Yeah, this is tremendously disheartening...

[bk]

Because while it's fine to think that what he did wasn't right or to find that behavior disgusting, the company had no right to outright fire him for what he did on his own time away from the company.  That's what this was about and his union went to bat for him and is responsible for the reversal.  Take it up with them if you don't like it.  They felt that a strong talking to or some kind of suspension would have been fine, but they did not think dismissing him instantly without ever having had him talk on the record was wrong.

[quizking101]

It’s important to note that, although the judgment does overturn his firing, he did decline to return and is now based in Rome.

He isn’t returning to the NYC Ballet for the foreseeable future

[JSquared2]

quizking101 said: "It’s important to note that, although the judgment does overturn his firing, he did decline to return and is now based in Rome.

He isn’t returning to the NYC Ballet for the foreseeable future"

Incorrect. According to The NY Times article, Ramasar is returning. The second dancer has chosen not to. 

[EllieRose2]

the company had no right to outright fire him for what he did on his own time away from the company.

Yes, because sending photographs of his co workers breast and vaginas is totally acceptable.....off the clock.

Anyone who thinks this is good news is obviously a man who has very serious issues. 

[everythingtaboo]

I wonder if they asked the female ensemble of NYC Ballet if they feel comfortable re-hiring him? Or will there be a revolt, like when John Lasseter from Pixar got hired at Skydance animation and Emma Thompson quit the project she was working on with them, and there had to be town halls with the employees to handle the fallout. 

[qolbinau]

I’m a bit confused. Isn’t this workplace sexual harassment? Surely there are laws to justify termination in this instance.

[Kad]

These men were initially to be suspended- they were only fired after women in the company came forward with their discomfort at having learned of their actions. In an intimate artform such as ballet, who could blame them?

It figures the usual condescending poohbahs on this board emerge in support of this decision.

 

[Fan123]

At workplaces I've been at, the compulsory sexual harassment training undertaken by all employees, makes it very clear that harassing colleagues outside of working hours or away from the usual workplace is still against the company's policy. I had thought that that was standard these days...

[givesmevoice]

bk said: "Because while it's fine to think that what he did wasn't right or to find that behavior disgusting, the company had no right to outright fire him for what he did on his own time away from the company. That's what this was about and his union went to bat for him and is responsible for the reversal. Take it up with them if you don't like it. They felt that a strong talking to or some kind of suspension would have been fine, but they did not think dismissing him instantly without ever having had him talk on the record was wrong."

If only the union had gone to bat for the women who were violated. Where does this fall in revenge porn laws?

[PattyO'Furniture]

I'm not going to go back and re-research all this, but...hadn't the two of those whompus cat hyena goblins taken secret photos of female dancers in states of undress and swapped them back and forth with commentary?  

But that can't be right b/c that is certainly enough for immediate termination - I just could've sworn that's what happened.   

If NYCB terminated for only objectification and lewdness in text form, they are not smart. 

[Anakela]

givesmevoice said: "

If only the union had gone to bat for the women who were violated. Where does this fall in revenge porn laws?"

The union feels that the right of a harassing dancer to remain employed supersedes the right of a woman to not be harassed while employed. And apparently spreading nude photos of your colleagues is a 'non-criminal personal life activity.'

As a ticket buyer I appreciate knowing this, so I know how to spend my money. 

[South Fl Marc]

Maybe I'm wrong but I think Alexandra Waterbury was never an employee of NYC Ballet. She was a student at School of American Ballet, the school of the Ballet Company and a training ground for new talent. I find this entire thing disgusting, but morals for things not related to work are not a fireable offense. Likewise, most certainly NYC Ballet will be dismissed from the lawsuit because their term of employing Chase Finlay  was not on condition he have an affair with or sleep with Ms Waterbury, who was not associated with the company.

But then Ms Waterbury would not have "deep pockets" to suit.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Only in show business and politics can you get away with the sort of things Ramasar and his colleagues did and NOT get fired.

I read quite a lot about the case when this first happened. He absolutely deserved to be fired. I can't believe they are letting him back.

[ColorTheHours048]

Less important than the reinstatement of Ramasar is the group of women working in the company who came forward, anonymously, to express their discontent with this decision. Anonymously. Meaning the repercussions of expressing their upset openly feels more daunting than Ramasar walking back into a company after being terminated for sexual harassment. He claims he only shared videos of consensual activities, but I can tell you right now if there were videos of “consensual activities” I had being shared and commented on among coworkers and strangers, there would be all kinds of hell to pay.

This whole situation is disgusting. And as someone else said, it may not be grounds for termination, but it’s good to know all this so I can decide where my money will be spent in the future.

[Islander_fan]

Givesmevoice said: "If only the union had gone to bat for the women who were violated. Where does this fall in revenge porn laws?"

 

Sad to say that when this all started revenge porn was not yet against the law in the state of New York. However, as of right now, it's been discussed up in Albany, a bill was made and all that it needs is Cuomo's signature. 

[Fosse76]

South Fl Marc said: "Maybe I'm wrong but I think Alexandra Waterbury was never an employee of NYC Ballet. She was a student at School of American Ballet, the school of the Ballet Company and a training ground for new talent."

That's not relevant. since these were affiliated organizations, company members would probably be considered to be in positions of power over students.

I find this entire thing disgusting, but morals for things not related to work are not a fireable offense.

Yeah, that's totally not true. However, in this particular matter, his contract with the NYCB governs the terms of his employment.

Likewise, most certainly NYC Ballet will be dismissed from the lawsuit because their term of employing Chase Finlay was not on condition he have an affair with or sleep with Ms Waterbury, who was not associated with the company.

Unlikely. They are affiliated organizations, and as I said above, he would be considered to have been in a position of power over her. Since he was sharing these pictures with other members of the NYCB, it can be argued that the atmosphere fostered this kind of behavior, regardless if anyone in power had any knowledge of what was happening.

But then Ms Waterbury would not have "deep pockets" to suit."

Nonsense. But since you clearly think that sexual harassment is ok, she isn't a real victim.