Boss says she was sacked for probing orchestra sex abuse
NewsEmma Dunch, former head of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, has gone to court claiming aggravated damages for ‘anxiety, shock and distress’ over her dismissal last December.
She has submitted documents claiming to have looked into six cases of sexual harrassment by male musicians and alleging ‘I was sacked over sex abuse review’.
She received a settlement of A$471,302 on termination but wants $74,560 more. The SSO says it will vigorously contest her claim.
Dunch raised eyebrows when she was plucked from her New York PR office to run Australia’s premier orchestra. She had worked in orchestras before, but never at CEO level.
She was a disaster in the job and that settlement figure is infuriating.
Watch out treading on toes.
It’s important to consider some truths that reports from court papers of one side might not present:
Ms Dunch was an inept, ineffective leader who should never have been appointed into the role. It was frankly horrible to work with her. She is a narcissist, a micromanager and an absolute bully who’s shortcomings absolutely ravaged the culture and morale of the orchestra. With upwards of 20 talented members of the administration walking during her short tenure, the writing was on the wall for her as CEO long before any allegations of sexual assault or harassment were raised.
She has demonstrated no capacity for personal reflection in this saga … Initially it was a ‘politically architected [not a verb] hit job’ … That she is now hijacking other people’s trauma for some political/personal gain tells you just about everything you need to know about her as a person and a professional.
She can molest me (and my wife) anytime. Meeeowww!