Mystery Of Dugan’s Departure Deepens
• The industry is still buzzing after last week’s surprising news that Deborah Dugan, President & CEO of The Recording Academy had been placed on administrative leave — ten days before the 62nd Grammy Awards. Board Chair Harvey Mason Jr.will serve as interim President and CEO pending the conclusion of the investigation. Dugan was named Pres. & CEO in August 2019 after the departure of Neil Portnow, who had served for 17 years.
According to a New York Times report, Dugan had recently filed a complaint with the academy’s human resources department, outlining practices that raised concerns for her, including voting irregularities, financial mismanagement, “exorbitant and unnecessary” legal fees and “conflicts of interest involving members of the academy’s board, executive committee and outside lawyers.” Not surprisingly, the New York Post’s Page Six took a more confrontational tack, citing “insiders” who suspect “the Grammys fired its first-ever female boss in an attempt to silence her — after she wrote a bombshell memo alleging misconduct inside the organization, including sketchy voting practices, financial mismanagement and conflicts of interest.”
The Times also cited a person “with direct knowledge” saying that Dugan’s removal came after an assistant to former President and CEO Neil Portnow, her immediate predecessor, filed a complaint about Dugan, charging her with a “bullying” management style. The assistant subsequently took a leave of absence. A source with knowledge of the Recording Academy’s operations told the Los Angeles Times that Dugan “didn’t fit in, from the get-go.” Another person with knowledge of the academy’s inner workings characterized Dugan’s management style as “very different” from Portnow’s, and said some at the academy were resistant to the change, while others welcomed a new approach.
In a statement, Dugan’s attorney, Bryan J. Freedman, suggested that key details had yet to come to light, commenting, “What has been reported is not nearly the story that needs to be told.” He added, “When our ability to speak is not restrained by a 28-page contract and legal threats, we will expose what happens when you ‘step up’ at the Recording Academy, a public nonprofit.”
