New York City

NYC Ballet Leader Under Investigation Over Sexual Harassment

The longtime leader of the New York City Ballet has been removed from teaching classes while he is investigated for claims of sexual harassment.

The ballet company said in a statement Monday evening that it received an anonymous letter with claims against ballet master Peter Martins. But the organization said that the letter gave no specifics about incidents and the law firm investigating the claims for New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet, where Martins taught, has not yet been able to substantiate those claims.

“SAB and NYCB together immediately engaged an experienced independent law firm to launch a comprehensive inquiry,” New York City Ballet said in a statement. “To date, the ongoing inquiry has not substantiated the allegations in the anonymous letter.”

According to the The New York Times -- which first reported the allegations against Martins, 71 -- ballet dancers in recent interviews have described a culture where Martins was known for sleeping with dancers.

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