San Antonio theatre launches investigation into sexual assault allegations

Photo: Bonnie Arbittier / San Antonio Report

Facing multiple allegations of sexual assault occurring during their productions, officials at the Classic Theatre of San Antonio have announced that they are planning to launch a full investigation into the claims.

The calls for action began when a local performer posted on Facebook many of the unethical incidents she had experienced while working at the theatre. Those incidents included bullying, racism, and unsafe working conditions.

The post was then updated with an allegation from a young woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted when she was 16-years old performing in a production there. It was discovered that the alleged perpetrator had also assaulted others at the theatre, including the woman who was behind the initial Facebook post.

It has also been reported that in December 2018, theatre officials, including former Executive and Artistic Director Kelly Hilliard Roush, was made aware of assault allegations against the perpetrator that resulted in his being fired from his day job, yet allowed him to continue working at the theatre, which allegedly resulted in the assault of one woman and one minor 16-year-old child.

It’s also been reported that in May 2020 when the minor later disclosed to Roush that she had been abused by the perpetrator in the theater building, Roush sent an email of thanks to the victim for sharing the information. It is unknown whether Roush then reported the alleged molestation to the Board of Directors or to any authorities.

In a statement by interim Executive Director Ruben Jauregui Jr. wrote, “In recent days, a member of the San Antonio theater community has raised concerns and allegations about previous leadership at our theater….Our current leadership and board of directors are taking these allegations seriously and have hired an outside counsel to launch a full investigation. It is important for you and our theater community to know that the safety and well-being of all of our staff, artists, and others involved with The Classic Theatre is of utmost importance to us.”

We will be continuing to look into this story and will both update this and publish follow-up content. If anyone has any information, our email is onstageblog@gmail.com