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5mo ago

Vancouver Symphony Pledges to End NDAs in Sexual Misconduct Cases, Won’t Sue Violinist

The pledge follows backlash over a legal threat after Esther Hwang broke a 2019 confidentiality agreement.

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The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) says it will largely end the use of non-disclosure agreements in cases of sexual misconduct, after it faced backlash for sending a former employee a cease-desist letter.
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Esther Hwang, a woman who reported being raped by a coworker at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and was forced to sign an NDA in order to have the man removed from the company, poses for a photograph at her home in Vancouver, B.C. on November 27, 2025. (Jennifer Gauthier/The Globe and Mail)

Overview

  • The VSO issued an open letter signed by CEO Angela Elster and its board committing to exclude confidentiality clauses in future sexual‑misconduct settlements unless a complainant specifically requests one.
  • The organization said it does not intend to take legal action against former violinist Esther Hwang for breaching her 2019 NDA.
  • A petition launched by Baltimore oboist Katherine Needleman drew about 14,000 signatures as VSO musicians and advocacy groups pressed for policy changes.
  • The VSO said an external probe into Hwang’s assault allegation was initiated in 2019 but never completed, while the alleged perpetrator has not worked at the orchestra since that year and Hwang received about $7,100 in a settlement.
  • Hwang alleges professional retaliation after the settlement, which the VSO denies, and the orchestra says it will consult experts and the community as it reviews policies, with advocates urging broader reforms beyond sexual misconduct.