Cinema staff suffered ‘years of harassment’
MANAGERS FAILED IN THEIR DUTY OF CARE, REPORT SAYS
TYNESIDE Cinema staff suffered years of sexual harassment and daily bullying as bosses failed in their duty of care towards them.
That’s according to a damning new report, which has left the Newcastle cinema’s board of trustees “truly shocked and distressed”.
Senior figures, including chief executive Holli Keeble, quit in advance of the publication of the 15-page report, which prompted the board of trustees to say: “We apologise profusely to anyone affected currently or previously by the culture and behaviours that have been identified as being that have been identified as being systemic at the cinema over the last seven years.”
The review was launched in July in the wake of a Twitter movement. More than 140 staff from the cinema, past and present, called for a change of culture amid allegations of sexual harassment and serious sexual assault.
It included a survey of 100 staff, past and present. Of those, a third claimed they’d suffered bullying, while 10% alleged some form of sexual abuse.
Staff claimed there was a “well-known” culture of sexual harassment, with the report adding: “Women working there knew who the alleged perpetrators were, and it was common knowledge new female staff would be targeted.
“It was known that no one would listen [and] nothing would change if they raised it.”
One alleged victim said they were “damaged for ever” by what had happened to them.
Another likened working there to an “abusive relationship” while one staff claimed they were racially abused by their boss.
Allegations of a cover-up were not supported by the independent review. Instead, it identified “negligence and incompetence” among bosses, with the report painting a picture of an organisation where management had lost the trust and respect of those beneath them.
“The culture is divided, especially between senior leaders and frontline staff,” adds the report, carried out by Turning Moment.
“Genuine concerns are not listened to or taken seriously. People described it as an ‘us and them’ culture.”
On social media, some long-time customers said they may never return to the Pilgrim Street venue, which has been closed throughout the pandemic, due to the nature of the claims made by staff.
Chair of trustees Lucy Armstrong, who is also now stepping down, told The Chronicle she was confident the cinema would bounce back under a new-look team and structure. But she admitted that it may take “a long time, probably years” for the reputation to recover.
“Maybe some people may never come back, and that would be sad for them and the Tyneside Cinema,” she added.
But addressing the report, which the trustees accept unequivocally, she denied any claim that the behaviour had been going on in plain sight of management. Instead, she said there was a “complex picture” at the cinema, which allowed opportunities to be missed.
“We are really sorry we didn’t join the dots,” she added.
“We recognise that there needs to be a lot of change.”
In total, there are 74 recommendations made in the review.
A new team, including a new chair of governors, will be brought in. The search is already on for a new chief executive, who could earn up to £90k to take it on a ‘change journey’.
However, in a stinging summary of how management failed staff, the report states: “Ultimately, the board of trustees and senior leadership team are accountable and have failed in their duty to protect some of their staff from harm and this has exposed those people to unnecessary hurt, distress and, in some cases, long-term mental health issues.”
The Chronicle previously revealed how one former worker – who told police she’d been raped – is seeking damages via an employment tribunal amid claims the cinema’s attitude towards the allegations left her with post-traumatic stress disorder. In their statement, the trustees have now thanked those who came forward “for their courage” in bringing the issues to light.
“No one should work at or visit an organisation where they are either unsafe or feel unsafe,” they added.
“Successfully making the necessary changes will require the courage and humility to accept the mistakes of the past, the vigilance and tenacity to ensure further mistakes do not occur and, finally, the ability of trustees, leaders and staff to collaborate and galvanise around a clear purpose that will enable the cinema to survive, heal and ultimately thrive.”