A Message from DCI CEO Dan Acheson

[N.E. Brigand]

43 minutes ago, Fran Haring said:

Just out of curiosity... what is the MFA/band relationship like? 

Not trying to be snarky here... I honestly don't know.

I'm no expert, but as far as I can see, there is no relationship. That is to say, any band in the country can sign up to participate in a BOA show for a nominal fee on a first come, first serve basis. There is no evaluation. There is no revenue going back to the bands. And the bands have no say in how MFA is run. (Not directly, at least. The pool from which adjudicators are drawn includes directors and designers of some of the nation's leading bands.)

[Ghost]

5 hours ago, jeffmolnar said:

She'll likely have... multiple sources. They seem to be researching this pretty exhaustively.

Got to have it accurate for any potential legal issues down the road.

[Ghost]

4 hours ago, HockeyDad said:

 DCI in general, and Dan specifically, fails to take action unless forced to, time after time. 

Maybe this is how the Cone of Silence term began.

[IllianaLancerContra]

6 hours ago, N.E. Brigand said:

Imagine yourself in Dan Acheson's shoes in this scenario: One or more reporters has reached out to you asking for an interview about allegations against some person or persons involved in DCI or a member corps, but s/he won't say prior to the interview who the allegations concern. You, Acheson, are aware of some allegations that have not been made public, but you don't know if these are the same allegations that the reporter(s) are now bringing to you. The allegations that you're aware of all concern people no longer involved with DCI. Maybe you didn't even know about them at the time. Or maybe you heard about them but had no authority then to do anything about them. (Nor could you ever have said anything publicly before without risking a libel suit from the supposed violator.) Is s/he going to ask you about those? You know what to say about those. You've talked to DCI's lawyers about what you knew and how DCI would not ever let those people work in corps under its auspices again. Or is s/he going to blindside you with new allegations about currently active figures in DCI? You don't know. So you stall to try to find out via other channels whom the interview might concern. However, fearful that the press will run with the story without interviewing you, you also try to assure the public that DCI, ever since learning about the Cadets in April, is doing everything in its power to keep corps safe.

Is that the right approach or the wrong approach? I dunno.

 

If I were Dan A, back in the spring, when this whole thing began, I would have made every effort to find out about as many potential 'bad situations' (for lack of a better term) that were out there as possible.  And, if appropriate, I would have contacted law enforcement of whatever jurisdiction that applied to what I had found out.  

Legal professionals will disagree with this approach - they preach 'keep quiet don't say anything'.

But, ferreting out the bad news it would be the right thing to do (isn't one of the lessons Drum Corps supposedly teaches the kids is to accept responsibility?).

The spring events should have been a wake up call.  DCI hit the snooze button.

Slay the dragons.  All of them.  Wherever and whoever they are.

[flugelswerebugels]

6 hours ago, N.E. Brigand said:

Imagine yourself in Dan Acheson's shoes in this scenario: One or more reporters has reached out to you asking for an interview about allegations against some person or persons involved in DCI or a member corps, but s/he won't say prior to the interview who the allegations concern. You, Acheson, are aware of some allegations that have not been made public, but you don't know if these are the same allegations that the reporter(s) are now bringing to you. The allegations that you're aware of all concern people no longer involved with DCI. Maybe you didn't even know about them at the time. Or maybe you heard about them but had no authority then to do anything about them. (Nor could you ever have said anything publicly before without risking a libel suit from the supposed violator.) Is s/he going to ask you about those? You know what to say about those. You've talked to DCI's lawyers about what you knew and how DCI would not ever let those people work in corps under its auspices again. Or is s/he going to blindside you with new allegations about currently active figures in DCI? You don't know. So you stall to try to find out via other channels whom the interview might concern. However, fearful that the press will run with the story without interviewing you, you also try to assure the public that DCI, ever since learning about the Cadets in April, is doing everything in its power to keep corps safe.

Is that the right approach or the wrong approach? I dunno.

 

Much as I hate it, DCI should really be working with communications professionals on this. No matter the circumstance, refusing to talk to the reporter on a story like this looks really really really really really bad. Someone who knows how to deal with the media would also know how to respond to the possibilities you've mentioned. Acheson's response seems entirely reactive, and DCI needs to be proactive both in directly addressing all the problems coming to light, and in their communications strategy about these issues. Its not clear they are accomplishing either of these goals with the current stonewalling and CYA'ing.

[flugelswerebugels]

6 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

my hunch is a multi pronged attack. we all know they snoop here and other places online, especially reddit. 

Attack? Its called reporting. The report seems certain to be about a youth activity knowingly allowing sexual predators to participate. I'd call that necessary attention, not an attack. 

[IllianaLancerContra]

16 hours ago, BRASSO said:

 DCI put the Cadets on Probation last winter, until an internal audit of their financials, as well as an internal audit of the Corps policies and procedures, reporting mechanisms to safeguard its current and future members took place.. Presumably that internal audit by DCI HQ and their hired firm has been completed by now. But if we recall, this was to have been completed by the end of this summer, and DCI HQ was to make an announcement " by September " their press release stated back then if the Cadets probation status would be either lifted, or extended, or something else. But no word yet ( as far as I know ) on the Cadets status from DCI HQ, and so they are behind schedule it appears on that deadline. Not sure what has caused the timeline delay here. Maybe others are more privy to why that September deadline has come and passed, with no official word from DCI HQ on the Cadets probationary status. That needs to be cleared up, and quickly for all concerned here ( Cadets included ), as prospective auditioneers/ parents are making 2019 season plans now.

Concerning Cadets specifically - IIRC the report was about to come out a month or so ago, but the law firm doing the work was informed (or discovered) some new allegation at the last minute that they needed to get to the bottom of.  Am I recalling correctly or am I having a Sr moment?

Edited November 1, 2018 by IllianaLancerContra
to use more better English

[Terri Schehr]

1 minute ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

Concerning Cadets specifically - IIRC the report was about to come out a month or so ago, but the law firm doing the work was informed (or discovered) some new allegation at the last minute that they needed to get to the bottom of.  Am I recalling correctly of am I having a Sr moment?

No, I read that, too.  So unless we’re both having a senior moment....

[BRASSO]

29 minutes ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

Concerning Cadets specifically - IIRC the report was about to come out a month or so ago, but the law firm doing the work was informed (or discovered) some new allegation at the last minute that they needed to get to the bottom of.  Am I recalling correctly of am I having a Sr moment?

 I had not heard that myself, but it appears others have. If so, this might explain why the deadline has come and gone, and there is still more scrutiny taking place, and DCI HQ is still vetting things there with the Cadets.

[soccerguy315]

I've heard multiple "big" names tossed around, including more people in the HoF, and I am, bluntly, not connected to anything in DCI. I marched awhile ago and I give some money each year and I go to Allentown. 

I guarantee Dan A has heard everything I have heard, and TONS more.  And more than that, I do not believe there is any way everyone "involved" (other corps directors, big names in the marching arts, etc), do not know multiple people that do this stuff that are still involved in the activity.

It is completely ridiculous that the activity is still keeping quiet.  I'm not sure if the motivation is to keep their high 4 figure HS design jobs (5 figures?) and if DCI hits the fan that HS marching bands will stop hiring people associated with DC, but... geez. This is completely ridiculous