This Globe and Mail story on what happened at the Mendelssohn Choir is what has happened in most situations where harassment and abuse has been exposed. The fact that Noel Edison’s behaviour had been brought into question on a number of previous occasions and no action was taken is concerning.
As in many such situations that are choking the headlines today, the first response by boards of directors and senior executives is they were not aware. In most situations they were aware and covered it up. If they weren’t aware, they certainly should have been. Acknowledging that they were not aware is an acknowledgment of incompetence, as in most cases the situations were open secrets.