Academy clears president John Bailey after sexual harassment claim

Andrea Mandell | USA TODAY

Less than two weeks after reports surfaced that sexual harassment claims had been made against Academy president John Bailey, the organization says he will remain in his job.

In a statement sent to USA TODAY, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences say they "thoroughly reviewed and considered the claim, John Bailey's response and corroborating statements from both parties."

The Academy stated that the membership committee "unanimously" determined that no further action was needed, a decision which the board signed off on. Bailey, 75, remains president of the Academy.

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The groups also says one claim had been made on March 13 against Bailey, a veteran cinematographer (The Big Chill, American Gigolo); not three as had been reported.

"The Academy took the claim very seriously and was cognizant of the rights of both the claimant and the accused, including consulting with outside counsel with expertise in matters related to harassment," read the memo.

Advice and counsel was taken from the Academy's general counsel, they say, as well as from lawyer Ivy Kagan Bierman of Loeb & Loeb, who is currently an advisor to The Commission on Eliminating Sexual Harassment and Promoting Equality in the Workplace, chaired by Anita Hill.

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Over the weekend, the Associated Press reported Bailey sent a memo to Academy staff saying that an allegation that he attempted to touch a woman inappropriately a decade ago on a movie set is untrue and that he expected to be exonerated.

In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, the Academy announced new procedures for evaluating its membership in January.

"The Academy’s goal is not to be an investigative body, but rather ensure that when a grievance is made, it will go through a fair and methodical process," Academy CEO Dawn Hudson stated in a memo to members at the time.

Hollywood has been reeling in the midst of the Me Too and Time's Up movements since the Weinstein allegations went public last fall. With accounts of sexual harassment and rape multiplying against the embattled movie mogul, the Academy unceremoniously kicked Weinstein out of its prestigious film group in October.

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Allegations of sexual misconduct have subsequently risen against more than 50 powerful men in the entertainment industry, including bold-faced names like Kevin Spacey, Russell Simmons and Dustin Hoffman.

The fallout has been massive. The Los Angeles District Attorney's office set up a special unit to investigate criminal behavior in the industry; heads of companies have stepped away, showrunners have been fired. A USA TODAY study, the first of its kind in the industry, found that 94% of women who work in Hollywood have experienced sexual harassment.