Kaufman dancers grapple with racism and a canceled gala performance

After a student-led school meeting to address racism allegations, students say they are frustrated by the administration’s response

The tight-knit community at the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance has been torn apart by allegations of racial slurs and degrading comments about Black students. The weeks leading up to a planned 10-year anniversary gala this weekend have been tense after school leadership canceled one of its performances due to the turmoil.

Interviews with six students making the accusations, half of whom are Black, reveal the school of just 106 students has struggled to respond to students who say the environment is “uncomfortable.”

Students speak out, officials respond

Kaufman Dean Julia Ritter emailed all students on April 1 that “reports of potential discrimination” have been sent to USC’s Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX Office for review, and stressed that people should reserve judgment to let an investigation go forward.

Sources who spoke to Annenberg Media on the condition of anonymity because of fear of being reprimanded described multiple incidents involving 11 freshman students who they said contributed to what they view as discriminatory harassment.

Ritter did not respond to Annenberg Media‘s interview request. USC PR said the school is taking all allegations seriously and is committed to addressing them promptly and fairly.

“Countless hours have been spent meeting with students and faculty in an effort to better understand the underlying issues, respond to concerns, and bring the community together,” USC said in a statement to Annenberg Media.

A Black Kaufman student told Annenberg Media she became aware of what she described as racism during a meeting of freshmen in March. They learned that nearly a dozen non-Black freshmen had perpetually used offensive language, including the N-word in private conversations at the dance school, multiple students said.

“Before this scenario, I really believed that Kaufman was a safe space for diversity, equity, and inclusion because we saw equal opportunity for everyone. We had open communication,” a Black student said.

According to the student, one incident included five freshmen encouraging each other to actively repeat racial slurs against Black students.

The freshman class had two gatherings over the course of the spring semester to discuss hate speech allegations. Of the 26 students in attendance between the two sessions, each said they had not used the racial slurs. During an April 1 gathering witnessed by a reporter, at least 6 people, half of whom are white, said they actually had used the slurs.

Although the allegations against the school are being brought to light now, multiple students claim the offenses began at the start of the academic year in August.

An emotional student-led meeting

During the April 1 session, which USC stressed was not an official meeting, students sat in a circle in a dance studio and discussed the allegations. Over 70 faculty, staff and students of the Kaufman community attended, and an Annenberg Media reporter was present in the room taking notes.

Ritter advised against the meeting two hours prior via an email sent by a Kaufman student services officer. Ritter instructed faculty to keep classes running as normal.

In the gathering, which lasted three hours, students expressed concerns and frustrations toward their classmates’ actions. Others openly admitted to using racial hate speech and saying the N-word. It was an emotional outpour of students wailing, yelling and exiting the room.

Ryan Simone, a junior in Kaufman, attended the meeting. She emphasized the importance of appreciating diversity, specifically at Kaufman.

“The experience of Kaufman, especially an experience that is so deeply rooted in Black culture; being at Kaufman is a Black experience,” said Simone, who is Black.

Two hours before the students gathered, Ritter sent an email to a student stating she had to attend a “previously scheduled meeting” in the room above the dance studio where the student-led meeting was being held. Ritter’s meeting included a conversation about the school’s 10th anniversary gala — a sponsored event designed to showcase the school’s legacy, donors and prestige.

Ritter sent an email after the meeting saying students are granted “the presumption that they are not responsible for a violation of university policy” until a formal conclusion is made. She also said retaliation and intimidation against students suspected of discriminatory behavior are prohibited.

“The dean of USC Kaufman School of Dance has been working in close collaboration with both university leadership and the appropriate investigative offices to address the serious concerns that have been raised,” USC said in the same email statement to Annenberg Media. “We cannot provide additional details regarding this matter due to student privacy laws.”

On April 4, a student sent a message, reviewed by Annenberg Media, emphasizing the importance of taking accountability in a Kaufman student-run group chat on GroupMe.

“As students and adults, we all have the autonomy to remove ourselves from a situation or environment where our presence may be causing harm that negatively impacts others,” the student’s text read. “If I imagine myself in a situation where someone had expressed that they felt uncomfortable dancing with me, I think I would self-reflect and ask myself why.”

The student who sent the message, and two students who supported and replied to it, were called into a meeting by the dean, who said their messages were forms of intimidation against the 11 accused students.

“The dean should know the nuances of their situation. The truth is that they don’t like the intended impact of the message, and so they’re trying to come in and threaten us, make us feel intimidated, like we did something wrong,” said one of the students who was called in to speak with the dean following the text thread.

Of the six students who spoke with Annenberg Media, all six said they believe the dean has not taken necessary action to address the situation.

“The biggest impact we might be able to make is talking to other students rather than coming up and having a meeting with the dean,” one student who was called in for the meeting said.

Ritter proceeded to ask different students to meet with her in individual meetings, including the five freshmen who were called racial slurs. They all declined to meet with her.

A canceled Bollywood performance

In order to prepare for the 10th annual gala, which will celebrate the legacy of Kaufman on Saturday, students were expected to attend a filming session on April 5. In light of the situation, some students said they were uncomfortable dancing with their peers who they believed participated in the discriminatory behavior.

Students protested that the 11 accused students be removed from the gala program. The dean made no changes and kept all the accused students in their respective dances. USC policy makes clear there can be no retaliation during an ongoing EEO-TIX investigation, and removing them could be viewed as such.

Not everyone agreed.

Out of 13 dancers, three people, including an accused student, removed themselves from the piece.

Eight dancers in the Bollywood section met with Ritter on April 5 to express their discontent with the decision of allowing two of the 11 accused students to continue dancing in their section.

Ritter, Vice Dean Jackie Kopcsak and Professor Betsy Struxness attended the meeting with the 10 students in the Bollywood section altogether. Beforehand, the eight students contemplated participating in the piece, which celebrates cultural diversity, while the cast included two students who they accused of using racial slurs.

After much heated deliberation, Ritter told the assembled group the school would not move forward with the Bollywood piece, and told those who wished to participate they could be in a jazz section during the gala instead.

According to the 10 dancers in the meeting, the dean asked the students to raise their hands if they did not want to participate in the dance section. Exchanging hesitant glances, all of them raised their hands.

The jazz piece was canceled not long after.

“After many conversations about cultural authenticity in this challenging moment, a decision has been made to transition away from the Bollywood piece and towards a new piece for this cast of dancers,” Kopcsak wrote in an email on April 4.

The six students took time to express their frustrations to Annenberg Media. The students who spoke with Annenberg Media said they believe Ritter’s lack of input and what they view as intimidation tactics harms the Black community at Kaufman.

“How can you be adamant about protecting those [accused] kids when your Black students have been uncomfortable since Day One. Where was the protection for them?” one of the Kaufman upperclassmen said.

“The administration, especially the dean, has proved that diversity, equity and inclusion is only a sentence on a syllabus and not an active practice,” the Black student said.