Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 were best friends — and both were active in San Diego Junior Theatre, and had had sex with Eric von Metzke, a junior theatre teacher, when they were ...
June 25, 2017
ColleenB
The board has always had it's own motives and anyone wanting to help for the greater good has been pushed out by the JT alumni crowd who came back because they had nothing better to do. Thier cool alumni events draw the same crowd of people and they never seem to attract the folks they like to brag about having been in the program. Anyone who has ever had any real success post JT wouldn't come near that place these days. The board felt the need to fire a previous Executive Director because they didn't like him and felt JT needed a way to bring in more development revenue. I'm sure the former executive director is sitting back, thanking his lucky stars he's no where near this mess. Then there's the executive director who was hired because the board fell in love with him and thought he would fix all the financial problems. Well not only did he not last long but JT paid him a wad of cash to go away. In comes the current executive director who chose to keep the production manager around over the current interim artistic director. Yes, he was given an ultimatum and the executive director chose Mr. Cucuzzella.
If the current executive director had not been friends with board members he would have never been hired for the job. It's also no secret the board was pleased to see the current interim director leave a few years ago because they were aware of the favoritism game she played.
I won't go into much detail about the current 'Communications Director'. The one that only has experience in serving former underage JT students alcohol in her home.
June 23, 2017
On to the story at hand, a victim is a victim is a victim. There is no excuse for what Eric VonMetzke did. NONE. The the mothers of all victims: help your daughters heal. If your daughter feels ERic VonMetzke is the love of her life, help her know her value and teach her to have more respect for herself. To the fathers of the victims, please do the same. He's serving time for committing an inexcusable crime.
I know the current executive director and I'm sure he considers me a friend, well, Jimmy Saba, it's time to move on. Any good you have done for this organization will forever be tarnished by the incidents over the last year. The lesson here folks, once you leave the organization as an 18 year old, go do big, beautiful things and cherish the time you had at SDJT. No need to come back for a job, or to be on the board, some things are better left behind. If you want to continue to support the place, write a check, see a show. I did that for many years but sadly, even that has come to an end due to the fact that I will no longer support the organization. My kids never got to be a part of the place but maybe that's for the best. Lesson in all of this, LOYALTY is worth nothing is there's no integrity, accountability or ethics involved.
Mr. Bauder, I applaud you for your diligence on the news regarding the organization. I'm curious, have you continued to reach out to Mr. Saba and the board for thier side of the latest story? How can the organization possibly survive?
June 23, 2017
ColleenB: I suppose the board and administration think everything has been repaired because Jimmy Saba put out a statement recently. But the people I have talked with contradict his statement in several critical areas. It is time for law enforcement to look at the JT environment beyond the von Metzke matter. Best, Don Bauder
June 25, 2017
Here is a link to JT's Employee Handbook, dated January 2014--most likely the one in effect at the time of the crimes in question.
It is 55 pages long but without a single word about mandated child abuse reporting.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B08yz1LW0YyNZFNrNlNpSzdNc3c
June 25, 2017
MattDValenti: That should make interesting reading. Three people told me that there was no training in the matter of underage relationships, although there may have been training after the von Metzke mess broke into the open late last year.
Says Francia Cohen FX Mua, "I was there seven years. No training whatsoever." Best, Don Bauder
June 25, 2017
For more background and extensively documented evidence about the Board's abject failure to properly run the organization, putting children at risk, see the complaint I submitted to the Attorney General in March: http://jtoversightgroup.org/complaint-to-the-attorney-general/
June 25, 2017
Matt Valenti: Someone in law enforcement should demand to see the so-called investigation by Cramp, a prominent attorney. Someone should go over with him and Cabrera all the various accusations by students, teachers, parents and audience members. If almost everybody knew of these egregious events, did Cramp ask the right questions? Best, Don Bauder
June 25, 2017
I completely agree. Time for a big change at SDJT. There is no way I will allow my children to participate in any further productions until this mess is cleaned up. It is unconscionable for this theatre to be allowed to operate business as usual any longer. It's time for ALL JT families to stand together and fight to get the theatre back!
June 25, 2017
Von Metzke "groomed" underaged girls by texting
SD Junior Theatre teacher going to prison
Eric von Metzke, a long-time teacher at the San Diego Junior Theatre, was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison. On May 12, he pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a ...
June 22, 2017
Brouhaha or foofaraw at San Diego Junior Theatre?
A brouhaha is a public clamor over a critical matter. A foofaraw is a clamor over a petty matter. At Balboa Park's Junior Theatre, a group of parents and attendees believe there have been serious ...
April 30, 2017
San Diego Junior Theatre keeps up the Oz-like curtain
A tragicomedy is a stage production that contains both tragedy and comedy. The local stage scene is a bit like that: the San Diego Junior Theatre for youngsters may be foundering close to a tragedy, ...
May 31, 2017
Where to start. For those who have been involved with San Diego Junior Theatre for more than 5 years or so you'll know that scandal has always found a way to penetrate the SDJT community. For those of you who have been around less than 5 years, sit down, shut up and read on.
All incidents that have happened more than 5 years ago: It's no secret that a former JT artistic director was FIRED by the board because he was a drug addict who had a serious problem, such a problem that they were smoking crack in the theatre. The board likes to think they kept this dirty little secret tucked away but they didn't. It's also no secret that a former director, who only directed the teen shows, would smoke pot with students and flirt with any of the male students who would give him the time of day. He was known for making crass and inappropriate comments in front of the students and the artistic director he worked for did nothing about it. Why? Probably because she was having students sleep over at her house. All of these things are FACTS.
To the student who claims to have fallen victim to Tony Cucuzzella, I'm sorry this is the forum in which you feel the need to divulge that information. Your parents have failed you because if any child of mine had come to me with such information, Mr. Cucuzzella would have been fired on the spot and be serving time in jail. If anyone had known such information, shame on them for not protecting you. I was a part of the program and Mr. Cucuzzella was a mentor to all of us. Did he teach us to work hard and did he set a high standard? Absolutely. Did we ever see his blood boil? Absolutely. Did he ever abuse me or my friends in any way? Absolutely not. Would I trust my own children with him? Absolutely. It's been years since I've even spoken to him so I'm not taking anyone's side, just stating my own feelings.