New York (CNN) The Metropolitan Opera filed a countersuit Friday against its former music director, James Levine, asking for more than $5.8 million in damages amid allegations that Levine committed acts of sexual misconduct over a 40-year period.

Levine was initially suspended in December after The New York Times reported multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against the conductor. The Met conducted an internal investigation and fired Levine in March. Three days after he was fired, Levine sued the Met for breach of contract and defamation, calling the allegations "unsubstantiated" and "decades-old," also asking for more than $5.8 million in damages.

In response to Levine's lawsuit, the Met says Levine broke his contract to the Met and was a "faithless servant."

In the countersuit, the Met claims Levine made the organization enter into a fraudulent contract, because he failed to disclose that he had abused his position of power by "engaging in repeated acts of sexual misconduct," according to court documents. The Met claims he also committed a breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing and "breach of duty of loyalty/faithless servant."

Under New York's faithless servant doctrine, an employee who is faithless in the performance of his or her service is "not entitled to retain any compensation earned during the period of misconduct."

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