Children's Theatre Company held its first public forum on Monday since 17 plaintiffs filed lawsuits against the Minneapolis theater and former actor Jason McLean over sexual abuse during the 1970s and 1980s.
About 45 people attended the two-hour evening forum held at the theater, sharing how they want to see the theater move forward after a painful past and recent legal action that's spurred public boycotts and protests.
The event was facilitated by a representative from the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), a national organization that operates a sexual assault hotline. However, several theater leaders also attended and spoke, reiterating similar messages from public statements, apologizing to the sexual assault survivors and listing off a number of steps the theater is taking — including the public forum — to help the community heal.
The Children's Theatre allowed a Star Tribune reporter to attend the nonprofit's forum on the condition that no one who participated be identified or quoted, citing confidentiality concerns.
People who were there shared ideas for how the theater can move forward, such as starting a student council, adding a survivor to the board of directors and hosting another forum at a neutral site because it's too traumatic for some survivors to be at the theater. Others suggested that the theater could improve how it communicates to the public.
Laura Stearns, whose case was the first — and so far, the only — of the cases to go to trial, didn't attend because she said it was too painful to go to the building. Another forum at a neutral site is a "great next step," she said.
"That building is really triggering for a lot of people," she said. "Their attempt to listen is admirable, and I hope they actually hear people."
She added that much more needs to be done. "This is going to take years."
