Ballet probe reveals reports of sexual misconduct

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Ballet has fired its remaining co-founder after an independent investigation revealed the full depths of the “toxic” environment dancers and employees have been dealing with.

The ballet’s board of directors announced the results of the probe Wednesday, uncovering a “pattern of intimidation and retaliation against dancers and staff, egregious misconduct, financial irregularities, and self-dealing.” Some of the most damaging allegations involve former CEO Michael Krasnyansky, with more than a dozen people accusing him of sexual misconduct.

Krasnyansky, who co-founded the Cleveland Ballet with his wife Gladisa Guadalupe, resigned in November shortly after the investigation began. On Wednesday, the board also officially terminated Guadalupe as its artistic director.

“This has been a very difficult and challenging time for our dancers, staff, and board,” Board Chairman Dr. Michael Frank said in a statement. “All members of our board, including myself, are ballet enthusiasts who have supported the Cleveland Ballet and its founders with their time and generous financial support, and now feel outraged and betrayed. For the health and future success of Cleveland Ballet, it became abundantly clear to the board that maintaining the status quo was not an option.”

In the fall, a former instructor claimed she was let go in a case of body size discrimination by Guadalupe. Both Guadalupe and Krasnyansky were suspended in the following days.

While the board now contends that move did not have anything to do with the body size discrimination allegations, their investigation did not begin until they were approached with this claim. Once the board’s investigation started, members referred only to “serious and disturbing allegations” surrounding the ballet.

After Krasnyansky stepped down, there was more turmoil to come, starting with the ouster of interim artistic director Cynthia Graham following reports of plagiarism involving the company’s choreography of “The Nutcracker.” Then, at the start of the new year, the ballet cut ties with Guadalupe’s School of Cleveland Ballet and announced plans to start its own academy after Guadalupe let go several Cleveland Ballet Company dancers who had been employed as instructors.