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Just Ahead of Grammys, Head of Recording Academy Hit With Allegation, Placed on Leave

Jan 17, 2020  •  Post A Comment

Deborah Dugan, president and CEO of the Recording Academy, was placed on administrative leave just 10 days ahead of the 62nd Grammy Awards, NBC News reports. The move came after “a formal allegation of misconduct by a senior female member” of the organization, the Recording Academy said in a statement.

The group did not reveal the nature of the alleged misconduct. Dugan, who took the helm of the organization in August, is the first woman to hold the post.

The organization’s Board of Trustees has retained two independent third-party investigators to examine the allegations, the report notes, citing the group’s statement.

In the statement, the academy says: “The Board determined this action to be necessary in order to restore the confidence of the Recording Academy Membership, repair Recording Academy employee morale, and allow the Recording Academy to focus on its mission of serving all music creators.”

The report quotes a statement from Dugan’s attorney, Bryan J. Freedman, in which he suggests important details have yet to surface, stating: “What has been reported is not nearly the story that needs to be told.”

Freedman adds: “When our ability to speak is not restrained by a 28-page contract and legal threats, we will expose what happens when you ‘step up’ at the Recording Academy, a public nonprofit.”

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