RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Richmond Ballet is trying to have a former student’s $11.5 million lawsuit — in which she claims that the company both allowed and encouraged an abusive culture — thrown out due to how long it’s been since the alleged abuse occurred.
In December 2025, a former dance student filed a lawsuit against the Richmond Ballet, accusing both current and former staff of contributing to a culture of “multi-year sexual, physical, and psychological abuse and exploitation,” per court documents.
The student, who remained anonymous in her suit, said she experienced this firsthand from 2007 and 2015 — but her lawyers claim the ballet has had a “dangerous culture” since 1990…