RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A former Richmond Ballet student has filed an $11.5 million lawsuit accusing the ballet company’s staff of encouraging and allowing an abusive culture, including assault and negligence.
The plaintiff, who is staying anonymous, is suing the ballet for $11.5 million and has filed an 85-page civil complaint in Richmond Circuit Court on Dec. 18. The former student’s lawyers argue that the staff members have failed to protect students and allowed harmful behavior to persist. These offenses include assault and negligence.
Attending the School of Richmond Ballet between 2007 and 2015, the anonymous student alleges the current and former ballet staff had a hand in creating the abuse culture for her and others — what is described as a “multi-year sexual, physical, and psychological abuse and exploitation” in court documents…