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https://okmagazine.com/p/fired-grammys-ceo-deborah-dugan-6-million-settlement-recording-academy/

Deborah Dugan, the former president and chief executive of the Recording Academy, the organization responsible for the Grammy Awards, has reportedly received a settlement of close to $6 million in 2021, Q reported.

The details of the settlement were not made public at the time, but eye-opening documents reviewed by Q have shed light on the financial cost of the controversy that surrounded Dugan's tenure.

The Recording Academy, in a tax filing submitted to the IRS, disclosed that Dugan was awarded a staggering $5.75 million for the year. Although the filing does not specify the nature of the payment, it does reveal that Dugan was the highest-paid individual at the Recording Academy — despite not working any hours per week.

The settlement came after months of disputes between Dugan and the Recording Academy, which led to her dismissal by the board. An agreement was reportedly reached in June of 2021.

Dugan, who was listed under her married name, Deborah Szulansky, held the position of president and chief executive for approximately five months before being removed from her post.

In contrast to Dugan's $5.75 million payment, chief executive Harvey Mason, who took over from Dugan, earned $1,369,344 during the same period.

Dugan's dismissal came after allegations of bullying and just ten days before the 2020 Grammy Awards. In her complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, she claimed that her removal was in retaliation for exposing misconduct within the organization, including sexual harassment, corrupt voting procedures and conflicts of interest among board members.

She also accused powerful industry lawyer Joel Katz of harassment, which he vehemently denied.

[Barbie Dangerous]

Time for some mess.

[Dee]

In case y'all don't remember... Kwee' said:

'Rigged'

In particular, she outlined an incident where an unnamed artist and their representative sat on the nominating committee for the song of the year category in 2019.
As a result, she claimed, that artist ended up on the shortlist ahead of acts like Ed Sheeran and Ariana Grande.
Dugan declined to name the musician who had been promoted to the shortlist to protect their "privacy" and "integrity", but argued that artists "deserve better" than the current system.

"It's mostly white males that are in those rooms that make these decisions, and there's a conflict of interest," she said in a separate interview on CBS breakfast show This Morning.

"If you represent that artist, you have a financial gain if they get nominated for a Grammy."

"So rigged is a term you would apply to it?" asked CBS reporter Tony Dokoupil.

"Yes it is," Dugan replied.

The Recording Academy called the allegations "spurious" and "categorically false".

"There are strict rules in place to address any conflict of interest," said the organisation's chief awards' officer Bill Freimuth.

"Should a committee member qualify for a Grammy, they are required to leave the room for the entire listening session and are NOT allowed to vote in that category.

"This process is strictly enforced with everyone involved and has no exceptions."

[Dee]

Sexual harassment

At the end of the interview, Dugan was asked whether she was planning to watch the Grammy ceremony on Sunday.

"I am," she replied. "I worked very hard on the show and I love the artists that are going to be performing."

When asked if others could watch the show in "good conscience", Dugan hesitated before replying: "Yes, I think so."

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Beyond the allegations of voting irregularities, Dugan discussed her claim of sexual harassment against Joel Katz, an entertainment lawyer who is the Academy's general counsel.

In her complaint to the EEOC, she said Katz made suggestive comments and tried to kiss her at a dinner last May, when she was being considered for the Academy's top job.

"I felt like I was being tested in how much I would acquiesce," she said. "And I realised that that was a power-setting move, just on the onset, as I was coming in to the committee."
Katz's lawyer Howard Weitzman said his client "categorically and emphatically denies" Dugan's account.

"Mr Katz believed they had a productive and professional meeting in a restaurant where a number of members of the board of trustees of the Academy, and others, were dining," he added.
Dugan also dismissed the idea that she had bullied her assistant - a claim the Academy said led to her suspension.

"I almost can't even keep a straight face on that accusation," she said.

"I've never filed an HR claim or had an HR claim against me."