A former ballerina sued the New York City Ballet accusing them of creating a “frat-like” environment which allegedly prompted her former boyfriend to secretly send out explicit photos of her to fellow dancers, donors, and NYC Ballet employees.
Alexandra Waterbury, a former student from the NYC Ballet, sued the company and her former boyfriend, ballet dancer Chase Finlay, alleging Wednesday intentional affliction of emotional distress, assault, and battery, Gothamist reported.
“For several years, defendant New York City Ballet, Inc. has condoned, encouraged, fostered, and permitted an environment where its agents, servants, employees, donors, principals, and/or others affiliated with it abused, degraded and mistreated alcohol, drugs, and women. This fraternity-like atmosphere permeates the Ballet and its dancers and emboldens them to disregard the law and violate the basic rights of women,” the complaint said.
Waterbury and Finlay met at the New York City Ballet and dated for a year. Waterbury discovered May 15 that Finlay “had been secretly recording and saving explicit photographs and videos of her while she was without clothing and/or while the two were engaged in sexual activity” without her consent, according to the complaint. (RELATED: New York City Ballet Head Will Retire Following Sexual Harassment Allegations)
Finlay allegedly sent a naked photo of her in a text to male colleagues in 2017, writing, “You have any pictures of girls you’ve f*cked?” This prompted them to allegedly start a group text of them sharing explicit photos to each other.
Former @nycballet student Alexandra Waterbury files suit against #NYCBallet &dancer Chase Finlay -alleging Finlay took sexually explicit pics of her & shared them w/o her consent. Suit alleges fraternity-like atmosphere at Ballet. Finlay’s atty had no comment; waiting on Ballet pic.twitter.com/CnqqY3ZLJr
— Andrea Grymes (@AndreaGrymesTV) September 5, 2018
Finlay resigned from the NYC Ballet in August, according to the New York Times.
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