# Sexual Misconduct allegations against David Daniels laid out in U of M investigation



## Hugo9000 (Aug 6, 2018)

From NPR:

https://www.npr.org/2019/08/08/749368222/memos-lay-out-sexual-misconduct-allegations-against-opera-star-david-daniels

Highlights from NPR's reporting of this case:


> Last month, opera star David Daniels and his husband, William "Scott" Walters, were indicted by Harris County, Texas on a felony charge of sexual assault. Simultaneously, the singer is battling the University of Michigan (UM), where he has taught since 2015 and where he was granted tenure in May 2018. Earlier this year, the school began seeking to fire Daniels over multiple, serious allegations of sexual misconduct.
> 
> NPR made a public records request of the public university to learn more about the circumstances and the timeline of the steps that the university has taken to fire Daniels, a process which it initiated in April. The documents provided by the university in response reveal specific and disturbing allegations against the singer.





> The university specifies five types of misconduct allegedly committed by Daniels. In four of the five categories, UM describes multiple episodes of alleged misconduct, including potentially criminal activity.





> These allegations include:
> 
> "Soliciting" multiple UM students for sex in exchange for money, which the university notes is "potentially criminal activity by a person in a position of power." (Solicitation is a criminal offense in Michigan.) In at least one such instance, the university alleges, Daniels suggested that he would also help boost the student's professional career.
> 
> ...





> The university also points out that at all times during these alleged episodes, "Professor Daniels exercised potential or actual academic supervisory authority over some or all of the students." (UM's standards code explicitly states that sexual harassment by faculty and staff is illegal by both federal and state standards and "will not be tolerated at the University of Michigan.")


Some additional details, including number of witnesses who spoke *on the record* in the University investigation, from MLive:
https://www.mlive.com/news/2019/08/report-reveals-new-misconduct-claims-against-university-of-michigan-professor-david-daniels.html



> "Throughout the course of this investigation, OIE contacted, or in at least one instance, was contacted by, 87 individuals identified as having concerns, or relevant information regarding concerns, involving (Daniels)," the newly public OIE report says. "Fifty individuals agreed to speak with the OIE."
> 
> The OIE report concluded that Daniels violated the sexual harassment policy in his dealings with many students, and violated the faculty-student relationship in at least one instance.


So, of 87 individuals identified as potential witnesses, _*50* agreed to speak on the record_ in the University investigation. Their names are confidential in the public report, but a court order could result in their identification, unlike anonymous sources for a journalist.

This is a separate matter of sexual misconduct including sexual harassment at the University of Michigan. The *felony sexual assault* charges going forward in Texas were the subject of another thread. That case is ongoing, the next court date is set for September 19.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Doesn't look very good to this layman. I could think of a couple of countertenors today who would definitely not have to pay me for sex.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Doesn't look very good to this layman. I could think of a couple of countertenors today who would definitely not have to pay me for sex.


I suspect they'll be relieved to hear that.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Woodduck said:


> I suspect they'll be relieved to hear that.


...or horrified.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

millionrainbows said:


> ...or horrified.


I regret my crassness, but I was only trying to say if Jakub Józef Orliński or David Hansen were teaching at a college, I'm sure they could find many volunteers for what David Daniel's was paying lots of money. I forget I am not writing to my only in the flesh opera buddy still alive who would have loved that statement. I''ve never known an opera fan who wasn't gay and most all died 20 years ago. I forget my experience is not everyone's in my isolated world.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I regret my crassness, but I was only trying to say if Jakub Józef Orliński or David Hansen were teaching at a college, I'm sure they could find many volunteers for what David Daniel's was paying lots of money. I forget I am not writing to my only in the flesh opera buddy still alive who would have loved that statement. I''ve never known an opera fan who wasn't gay and most all died 20 years ago. I forget my experience is not everyone's in my isolated world.


Not to be unkind, but I question such conclusions. Regardless of one's sexual orientation, it's not impossible that one could be attractive physically and still have an emotional unbalance, something that's off psychologically, a disturbance, that might not automatically be attractive to others, with solicitation of others as part of the problem, and probably not anything that one would want to take advantage of ... Where are his advisers, legal or otherwise? Has anyone suggested that he get himself into serious counseling? - because it appears that he's completely out of control and throwing his life away because of his compulsive urges. One's physical attractiveness is one thing, but now Daniels has a ruined career and a reputation that I doubt anyone would envy.


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