Statement on Poorly Handled Misconduct During the 2021 Season at Spirit of Atlanta
Many of you may have seen this Reddit post by a 2021 Spirit of Atlanta member detailing her hurtful experience with the corps. We would appreciate you taking the time to read her post in its entirety. We have been in contact with the poster for months to support her and wait for the results of the official DCI investigation. Unfortunately, it seems as of right now that very little action was taken. 2021 was a challenging season for everyone and we are all looking to rebuild for 2022. However, that does not excuse not taking swift action against misconduct, especially misconduct affecting a minor that staff knew was occurring during the summer.
Something in particular that stands out to us is the persistence of "rookie talent night” and the terrible way in which that was handled. Rookie talent night, as it has existed, is unacceptable. We know many people reading this have participated in rookie talent night and may be thinking “I consented and had fun and no one seemed to feel differently.” Unfortunately, you cannot know with 100% certainty that other people also shared a positive experience. Rookie talent night is hazing. When people are put into the position of participating in something they do not wholly consent to, or facing social repercussions for abstaining, that is not really much of a choice at all. Even if someone chooses to abstain, it is still happening around them in an environment where they cannot leave. The bus is everyone’s home for the summer. Rookie talent night is the equivalent of most of your roommates choosing to do inappropriate things in your shared living space without your consent.
Recently, some members of MAASIN reviewed policies at Crossmen. We found their anti-hazing policy to set a good example and think other corps should consider adopting similar guidelines if they do not already have them. We encourage you to read it in its entirety here but the best point is how everyone has the power to stop hazing. Having a policy on paper is a good sign but does not automatically result in a corps having a healthy learning environment. Everyone has to do their part to uphold the policy and purposely facilitate a healthy environment. It is time for us as a community to accept that rookie talent night was never truly okay and move past it. It is time for us to let it go in favor of forging new traditions that are appropriate group activities.
We have heard that the poster faced some previous post-season harassment for talking about her experience and that some people have made comments resembling victim-blaming in response to the current post. If you had a positive experience with a particular organization or the activity and someone did not, it does not negate your positive experience. Focus your energy on making sure everyone can have a great experience like you did instead of contributing to a culture that silences survivors.
We are disappointed that this situation panned out this way but we would like to thank the poster for sharing her experience with the community. Again, we support experience sharing and boost statements such as this to assist performers in making informed decisions regarding where they spend their summer. Wrongdoing at Spirit at Atlanta spanning a number of years has been on our radar since our organization began and it seems they have repeatedly failed to deliver on change. We hope Spirit of Atlanta is able to improve but performers and staff have a right to know what kind of situation they could potentially enter if the corps does not make adjustments in time for the 2022 season.
Questions, comments, or concerns can be directed to our email at info@maasin.net, social media DMs on any of our accounts, or by using the form on our Contact page. If you are seeking our whistleblower support committee, they can be reached at report@maasin.net and would be happy to assist you or just talk. Thank you for reading.