#Metoo violin professor finally retires
mainStephen Shipps, the concertmaster and Universityof Michigan professor who was accused of sexual misconduct, has retired from the university at the age of 66, it was confirmed this weekend.
His impending retirement was announced at the end of last year. Shipps had agreed a retirement date of May 31, but it appears this has been brought forward.
Detroit News has just published further allegations of sexual activity with a 17 year-old girl. Read here.
Those are not further allegations; they appeared in the first Michigan Daily article. Shipps has not denied anything, nor has he offered any explanation for the multiple accusations against him. His silence is deafening.
What sort of explanation could one give that might be convincing? Seems like saying anything would be an act of futility, and I imagine his attorney or PR advisor agrees. Speaking out just gives the story more legs.
Public figures who feel pressured to make a statement usually claim the relationships were consensual, or they say they’re looking forward to clearing their name in court. Fortunately for Shipps, he doesn’t have to say anything. The story has legs because he’s currently facing 8 public allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment.
The allegation in the linked article is not new news.
The Michigan Daily is the publication that investigated and reported this story in December. Since then, the updates have been regarding another allegation against Shipps that went unanswered for more than a year and the change in his retirement date. Why would the date have been changed from the end of May to the end of February? Hmmm…
The title above should read “#MeToo Violin Professor Retires Early.” No one from Meadowmount has come forward with accusations against him yet? Just students from Nebraska, North Carolina, and Michigan?
“Everybody, sooner or later, sits down to a banquet of consequences.”
-Robert Louis Stevenson
Uh oh, I hope he’s not one of those violin teachers who cares about his “legacy.”
Labeling him so in a headline is poor editorial policy.
They probably thought that was better than the other choice they had for a headline: Serial Rapist Violin Professor Retires.
University of Michigan School of Music has decided to install transparent panels in offices to prevent sexual misconduct. They got rid of Shipps even more quickly than originally planned, and they’re making a statement that they know this stuff happens and it’s not OK anymore.
Two more former students have filed reports with law enforcement since the article came out. That brings the total to 10 formal allegations so far, though another known victim died and yet another was institutionalized.
That’s terrible to think about. And how many more are out there?
Wow. It sounds like this is far from over. What amazes me is that administrators in North Carolina helped him get the Michigan position to stop his abuse of high school students, but he was quickly able to take over U of M’s pre-college division. Just like other serial predators, he found a way back in.
Definitely not over. The Feds have picked this up.
Stay tuned. There are several different law enforcement agencies currently investigating Shipps. It may take some time to gather all the information because every victim they call to set up a face-to-face interview gives them 5 more names. The goal is to file criminal charges.
Shipps knew this was coming when he hired a criminal defense attorney in December.
Scary for him and his family.
Maybe his victims will feel a sense of closure.
The only way certain people will believe the allegations is for criminal charges to be filed. If they do prosecute him, it should make it harder for him to continue teaching outside U of M.