Director suspended for assaulting critic with dog feces

Some can take a bad review, and apparently, some can’t.

A German ballet company has suspended its director for reportedly assaulting a critic with dog feces. The Hannover state opera house apologized for the incident and said Monday that it was suspending ballet director Marco Goecke.

During the intermission of a performance, Goecke approached critic Wiebke Huester. Huester had apparently written a negative review of Goecke’s recent show; he threatened to ban her from the ballet and accused her of being responsible for people canceling season tickets in Hannover.

He then pulled out a paper bag with animal feces and smeared her face with the contents before making his way off through a packed theater foyer.

Huester has filed a police report.

The opera house said that Huester’s “personal integrity” was violated “in an unspeakable way.” It said that it contacted her immediately after the incident to apologize.

It said that Goecke’s “impulsive reaction” violated the ground rules of the theater and that “he caused massive damage to the Hannover State Opera and State Ballet.” As a result, it said, he is being suspended and banned from the opera house until further notice.

Goecke has been given the next few days to apologize “comprehensively” and explain himself to theater management “before further steps are initiated,” it added.