October 21, 2017
Dear Members:
This afternoon our National Board had an important discussion about sexual harassment in our industry following allegations of serious misconduct that have recently come to light. The Board adopted the following statement:
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“The DGA condemns sexual harassment. There must be no tolerance for such deplorable abuses of power. This isn’t about one person. We must recognize sexual harassment is endemic in our society, and painfully, in our industry.
We believe that every individual has the right to a safe workplace. The unfortunate truth is that there are those who abuse the power that they hold.
For far too long, many have not spoken out – directors, agents, crew, executives, performers, producers, writers. This shameful code of complicity must be broken.
As directors and team members who solve problems for a living, we are committed to eradicating the scourge of sexual harassment on our industry.”
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As a man in this industry, I have a responsibility to not just condemn the actions of others, but to look inside myself. I ask all of us to do the same. Unless we recognize what has become so acceptable in our culture and how we possibly, even unconsciously, are participants, everything else will be meaningless. Changing culture is a long and difficult journey, but the first step towards that is acknowledgment. With that I am hopeful that this story will be different than the countless other stories that over the years have been ignored or dismissed. And with the hard work that needs to be done, we can finally be on a road to a better and safer future for all.
Thomas Schlamme
DGA President