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The explosive saga that the Recording Academy — aka the Grammys — is undergoing continues today with the release of a statement from the women on the executive committee of the Grammys that softly refutes the allegations of a “boys’ club” mentality within the academy made by outgoing Grammys CEO Deborah Dugan.
The statement, signed by executive committee members Tammy Hurt, Christine Albert, Leslie Ann Jones, and Terry Jones, and shared by Maureen Crowe, the president of the L.A. chapter of the Grammys, begins by applauding Diversity and Inclusion Task Force leader Tina Tchen, before indirectly addressing Dugan’s allegation. “It is deeply disturbing to us – and quite frankly, heartbreaking - to witness the firestorm against our organization that has been unleashed,” the statement reads. “The Academy is keenly sensitive to any and all allegations of harassment or abuse." (Read the full statement here.)
A complaint made by Dugan to an equal opportunity watchdog yesterday alleged that the Recording Academy is rife with misogyny and racism, and claimed that she and numerous other women had been subjected to sexual misconduct, ranging from verbal harassment to rape, by various members of the Grammys executive committee. Read an overview of allegations here.