RICHMOND, Va. β A former Richmond Ballet student is suing the performance organization for $11.5 million, alleging sexual, emotional and psychological abuse at the hands of staff members during her eight years as a student.
The 85-page complaint, filed December 19, is the third lawsuit filed by a former student against the Richmond Ballet in the past five years. The student, who chose to remain anonymous, attended the ballet school from 2007 to 2015, starting when she was 8 years old.
According to the lawsuit, faculty members used intimidation, exploitation and threats of physical violence to manipulate students into dropping extreme amounts of weight, sometimes resulting in emaciation, severe emotional distress and long-lasting or permanent injuries. Lawyers say that staff failed to protect students, allowing harmful practices to continue.
The suit states that threats of violence became reality for the student, describing one instance in which she was hit in the back of the head.
The complaint alleges a long history of harmful culture at the ballet school, stating that staff rewarded starvation, overtraining and amenorrhea, which is the loss of menstrual cycles. Students as young as 10 years old would receive "fat letters" or "fat talks," criticizing and shaming them for their weight, according to the lawsuit.
The level of stress and pressure led the student to lose weight rapidly, going from 145 pounds to 118 pounds in just three months, the complaint states.
The former student also describes multiple instances of sexual abuse in the complaint, alleging that she and others were grabbed, groped and touched on their thighs, buttocks and genitals by multiple staff members. One of the alleged perpetrators is still listed as an employee on the Richmond Ballet website, according to the lawsuit.
The suit claims the years of abuse as a minor student led to numerous injuries, severe depression and multiple suicide attempts.
Richmond Ballet provided the following statement to CBS 6:
"Richmond Ballet recently learned of a lawsuit filed against it by a former student concerning alleged incidents that occurred more than 10 years ago. Our priority has always been to provide a safe and supportive environment for aspiring professional and recreational dancers alike, and we take this objective very seriously. The Ballet does not comment on pending litigation as a matter of policy. We will investigate thoroughly and respond to the claims through our legal counsel when appropriate. Over our half century of training thousands of students, we have earned an excellent reputation and will zealously defend the School of Richmond Ballet, our faculty, and our staff."
Court paperwork states a jury trial is being requested.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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