A man has been permanently banned from a local theater group after volunteers accused him of sexual harassment.
The Springfield Municipal Opera Association, commonly known at The Muni, said in a statement Friday morning that the ban was issued after an appeal of a complaint earlier this spring.
Kevin Burke III, the president of The Muni Board of Managers, told WMAY’s Sam Madonia on AM Springfield that a complaint of verbal and online harassment was investigated in March and April with limited action taken in the initial decision in May.
That resulted in widespread backlash on social media. Burke said after the complainant appealed, board members learned that the incident was not isolated when others stepped forward with similar claims about the man.
Burke thanked the person who originally brought the complaint and said leaders of The Muni have begun steps to improve communication about inappropriate behavior.
