The Cleveland Orchestra has suspended yet another one of its members as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
The orchestra announced Saturday it has indefinitely removed principal trombonist Massimo La Rosa as part of its investigation, which began back in July when The Washington Post detailed similar allegations against concertmaster William Preucil, prompting the Board of Trustees to appoint a special committee to look into the matter. Preucil, who has declined to comment, remains suspended himself and later resigned from the faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music before being removed from his position at Furman University.
La Rosa, a native of Italy, has been with the Orchestra since September of 2007. The exact nature of the allegations against him have not yet been made public, and the investigation continues with the help of New York law firm Debevoise and Plimpton LLP.
Special committee member David J. Hooker, former managing partner of Thompson Hine LLP, released the following statement:
"We are committed to conducting a thorough and extensive review to make sure The Cleveland Orchestra is able to provide a safe, professional work environment. There is nothing more important for our musicians and our staff than an environment where they can perform their duties without harassment or abuse. We are proud to be regarded as one of the world’s great orchestras, and we want our all of our musicians and staff to be just as proud of how we treat one another and conduct ourselves as an organization."
