NEW YORK (AP/WHDH) — New York’s Metropolitan Opera says it’s suspending its relationship with longtime conductor James Levine pending an investigation into multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
In a statement released Sunday, the opera company said Levine will not be involved in any Met activities, “including conducting scheduled performances at the Met this season.”
The Met also says it’s hiring a former U.S. attorney to lead a “full and complete investigation.”
Levine was the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 2004 to 2011, and was the first American-born conductor to head the BSO.
The action comes a day after the New York Post first reported that one of Levine’s accusers claimed he had sexual contact with Levine as a teenager. The New York Times on Sunday reported similar accounts from two other men with Levine.
Met officials said in an earlier statement that Levine has denied the charges.
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