{"id":113191,"date":"2024-10-12T05:55:44","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T22:55:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=113191"},"modified":"2024-10-12T05:55:44","modified_gmt":"2024-10-11T22:55:44","slug":"what-happened-to-outfest-ex-executive-director-sues-film-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=113191","title":{"rendered":"What Happened to Outfest? Ex-Executive Director Sues Film Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tAfter a season of upheaval and internal conflict, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/t\/outfest\/\" id=\"auto-tag_outfest_1\" data-tag=\"outfest\">Outfest<\/a> has been sued by its former executive director for defamation, harassment and discrimination.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tDamien Navarro, in a lawsuit filed on Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims he repeatedly warned Outfest\u2019s board of directors, several of whom blamed him for its collapse, of the organization\u2019s dire financial situation but that it refused to take action. He alleges that some board members engaged in a campaign to discredit and remove him as the head of the film festival in retaliation for raising concerns of discrimination.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t\u201cAs the first person of color to lead Outfest, I expected a place of belonging and shared values,\u201d Navarro says. \u201cInstead, I encountered systemic racism, self-dealing, and retaliation that undermined not just my leadership but the very mission of the organization.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIn a statement, Outfest denied the \u201cbaseless and malicious claims.\u201d It added, \u201cUnfortunately, during Mr. Navarro\u2019s leadership, the\u00a0Outfest Board decided that it was in the organization\u2019s best interest to bring in a new executive director. We remain committed to this decision as the best course of action for the organization and look forward to resolving this matter in legal proceedings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tOutfest \u2014 the long-running Los Angeles LGTBQ film festival once seen as a fixture in the indie cinema circuit \u2014 collapsed last year when it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/movies\/movie-news\/outfest-layoffs-staff-union-efforts-damien-navarro-leave-of-absence-1235604049\/\">laid off<\/a> nearly all of its staff after some announced plans to unionize. Amid ongoing financial turbulence, it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/business\/business-news\/outfest-postpones-legacy-awards-financial-issues-1235617367\/\">postponed<\/a> the Legacy Awards, its marquee gala fundraiser that typically saw a series of high profile Hollywood talent honored. This coincided with Navarro, whose contract was not renewed last year, stepping aside for a leave of absence, which he tells <em>The Hollywood Reporter<\/em> was to allow for a \u201cfull, unbiased investigation\u201d of concerns he raised of discrimination and harassment that he was allegedly subjected to by multiple board members.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIn an email to donors sent in October, Outfest directors said the situation is \u201cdire\u201d while hinting at mismanagement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t\u201cRecently the Board of Directors was forced to take over day to day operations of the organization and we discovered huge amounts of undisclosed debt that had been hidden from the Board,\u201d the message said, before adding that \u201cOutfest is in serious financial jeopardy and urgently needs to raise $750,000.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIn the lawsuit, Navarro argues the email defamed him by claiming that there were undisclosed debts hidden from the board, making him a \u201cpariah in the industry.\u201d He alleges that Outfest\u2019s bleak financial picture started long before he started as executive director in 2019 and that he implored the board to address these issues several times, only to be made a \u201cscape goat for [its] own malfeasance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThe lawsuit says Navarro inherited an organization with over $250,000 in debt and years of declining membership and ticket sales, which was exacerbated by several unforeseen factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, increased costs due to new California labor laws and rising venue expenses. Within his first 18 months as head of Outfest, Navarro eliminated the debt and substantially increased revenue, he claims. Still, the organization faced a looming budget deficit (expected to reach $300,000 by March 2023) and cash flow issues that would necessitate staff layoffs, according to the complaint.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tBut the board elected to \u201cundertake no action despite increasingly dire financial reports,\u201d Navarro alleges. He points to leadership\u2019s refusal to reduce the staff, allegedly to \u201cavoid negative publicity\u201d during the writers and actors strikes. At a March 2023 meeting, Navarro emphasized the budget crunch with reserves sufficient to cover payroll through May only to be ignored, the lawsuit claims. In a letter to the board he sent the next month, he wrote, \u201cOutfest needs to manage its expenses carefully to meet its financial obligations,\u201d according to the complaint.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t\u201cNavarro kept Board members updated about the organization\u2019s finances at every step of the way \u2013 with the Board taking no action to shore up receipts or reduce expenses,\u201d writes Rob Hennig, his lawyer, in the filing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tBoard members\u2019 duties to the organization include raising or donating at least $10,000 annually to Outfest. Navarro alleges the majority of the board \u201cconsistently failed\u201d to meet this threshold, with board member Alexis Fish allegedly refusing to fundraise at all. Over the past two years, only 30 percent of the board met the minimum requirement, resulting in a budget shortfall of roughly $500,000, the lawsuit claims.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tAdditionally, the complaint details a series of clashes between Navarro and multiple board members over alleged harassment and discrimination. In 2022, he raised numerous concerns of Outfest\u2019s allegedly discriminatory practices affecting Latinos, as well as one that included himself. This prompted board members, including Fish and Valerie Stadler\u2014 all of whom are named in the complaint \u2014 to initiate a \u201ccampaign of retaliation\u201d aimed at undermining his leadership, the lawsuit claims. Some alleged examples: inciting staff against Navarro by spreading false rumors of his imminent termination, excluding him from board meetings and launching frivolous investigation into alleged improper behavior. This included a probe into his husband, who\u2019s not a part of Outfest, allegedly flirting with an actor at an event and alleged discrimination by Navarro against female and Black staff members. Third party investigations into the incidents from the Fromholz firm found no fault, Navarro claims.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t\u201cThe investigations against me was initiated in response to allegations that were unfounded and retaliatory in nature,\u201d Navarro says. \u201cThe firm found no evidence of discriminatory treatment on my part.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThe lawsuit stresses that the board failed to investigate Navarro\u2019s claims of discrimination or harassment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tAlso detailed in the complaint are allegations of self-dealing by board members. Navarro says Fish repeatedly attempted to secure exhibitions of films she was directly involved with and had a financial stake in at Outfest, including a documentary about Susan Feniger despite her allegedly being employed as director of business development for the chef. In 2022, Stadler approached him to show a movie in which she was an executive producer at the opening night of Outfest. In response to the overtures, Navarro raised concerns about conflicts of interest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIn August 2023, the board voted not to renew Navarro\u2019s contract as executive director \u201cin a clear act of unlawful discrimination and retaliation,\u201d the lawsuit alleges. He took a leave of absence in September, four months before his contract was set to expire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tExecutive Director Christopher Racster is currently the only employee of the organization. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIn December, the<em> Los Angeles Times<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/business\/story\/2023-12-20\/it-was-one-of-l-a-s-oldest-film-festivals-then-it-collapsed-what-happened\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">reported<\/a> that Outfest\u2019s collapse was largely due to mismanagement by Navarro. Responding to claims attributed to anonymous sources that he arranged without the board\u2019s approval for the organization to pay for actor John Waters\u2019 star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Navarro says that there was \u201cnever an unauthorized deal\u201d and that the agreement was made \u201ctransparently with the board\u2019s knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tHe also denied allegations that he kept board members in the dark about the use of a $700,000 estate gift Outfest received. \u201cAll expenditures related to the grant were properly documented and reported, and the board was regularly updated on how the funds were being used,\u201d he adds. \u201cAny claims of misuse or lack of transparency are not true, as all financial decisions were made in alignment with Outfest\u2019s mission and goals, with complete oversight from the finance committee.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/business\/business-news\/outfest-lawsuit-damien-navarro-1236030550\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After a season of upheaval and internal conflict, Outfest has been sued by its former executive director for defamation, harassment and discrimination. Damien Navarro, in a lawsuit filed on Friday &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=113191\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-113191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entertainment","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=113191"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113191\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=113191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=113191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=113191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}