Dispute Over Signed 'Hamilton' Poster Triggers Lawsuit Against Kennedy Center

[DAME]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 10:48am

Oy Vey!

The lawsuit, which names both the Kennedy Center and another employee as defendants, seeks $1 million in damages.

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Dispute-Over-Signed-Hamilton-Poster-Triggers-1-Million-Lawsuit-Against-Kennedy-Center-511728322.html?fbclid=IwAR1VfeWJAjrQUBs3FOfndBJLFOrudcpBMWKJ9OatqM2Kj3FFJIS9SLwCBkE

Updated On: 7/2/19 at 10:48 AM

[alovingfan]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 11:24am

I hope he gets every penny.  Ridiculous.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 12:11pm

I can't understand this completely. Was he trying to get his own poster signed? Did he try and take a signed poster he saw that wasn't his? I'm confused. Lol

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 12:29pm

darreyl102 said: "I can't understand this completely. Was he trying to get his own poster signed? Did he try and take a signed poster he saw that wasn't his? I'm confused. Lol"

Reading the original news article, allegedly the Kennedy Center allows staff to collect signed window cards and he says that he was allowed to take the Hamilton one - now the Kennedy Center wants it back (probably because they didn’t know the pretty penny they had on their hands) and this misunderstanding resulted in a hostile work environment with openly being called and a thief and email exchanges. 

[ukpuppetboy]

Posted: 7/3/19 at 5:50am

A million dollars? Seriously? Over a poster and an email?! This is surely more than many people will make in their working lives.

If I lived to be a hundred I couldn’t even begin to understand America’s obsession with litigation

[ArtMan]

Posted: 7/3/19 at 7:51am

ukpuppetboy said: "A million dollars? Seriously?Over a poster and an email?! This is surely more than many people willmake in their working lives.

If I lived to be a hundred I couldn’t even begin to understand America’s obsession with litigation"

His lawsuit states that an "official"  (In other words Management)  accused him of theft in front of others.  If proven, that he was given the poster, that is grounds for a lawsuit & potential damages and I'm sure someone in the UK would do the same thing.  It's bad public relations for the Kennedy Center whichever way this goes.

Updated On: 7/3/19 at 07:51 AM

[persephone88]

Posted: 7/3/19 at 8:12am

Really? A million dollars? Did I miss in the original article that he was fired? It sounds like there were untrue accusations of theft, and that made the workplace uncomfortable, and the poster was taken from him. Of course details will have to come out in court, but a million dollars for an accusation of theft and a signed poster of what was possibly the *touring* company of Hamilton does seem excessive. And I think the litigant is coming off looking worse than the Kennedy Center asking for that amount of money over a workplace dispute of this nature. Yes, it sounds like the Kennedy Center handled it very unprofessionally and poorly, but not a million dollars worth of poorly.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 7/3/19 at 8:24am

  Is it the amount of the lawsuit that bothers some of you?  Because if Management wrongly accuses an employee of something as serious as theft, that is legally proven to be incorrect, that is grounds for something more than "I apologize". 

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/3/19 at 9:49am

This seems odd. Unless there is more to it, I suspect that if the venue wanted a signed poster from the production, they have someone on staff that could acquire one directly from the show and not from a table for staff to take things from. In theaters that I have worked in, someone got their signed and unsigned posters for display or keepsake directly from the production. JMO

[DAME]

Posted: 7/3/19 at 12:50pm

persephone88 said: "Really? A million dollars? Did I miss in the original article that he was fired? It sounds like there were untrue accusations of theft, and that made the workplace uncomfortable, and the poster was taken from him. Of course details will have to come out in court, but a million dollars for an accusation of theft and a signed poster of what was possibly the *touring* company of Hamilton does seem excessive. And I think the litigant is coming off looking worse than the Kennedy Center asking for that amount of money over a workplace dispute of this nature. Yes, it sounds like the Kennedy Center handled it very unprofessionally and poorly, but not a million dollars worth of poorly."

I am not bothered by the amount.   A accusation of theft and then having your name dragged thru the mud is very serious .  I am sure the person has been legally adviced.

Updated On: 7/3/19 at 12:50 PM

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 7/3/19 at 7:49pm

There was probably a limited supply of signed posters, and under normal circumstances, it would be fine, but it's ~Hamilton~, so someone important (board member, big donor) wanted one and they decided to pick on a peon employee who wasn't "entitled" to it like the fancy rich person.