Chase Igliori, manager of Into It. Over It., has resigned from his position at Middle West Management in the wake of allegations that he sexually assaulted a colleague during a Hellogoodbye tour in 2013. Hillary Corts, who managed that tour, wrote in a Facebook post that Igliori non-consensually groped her, kissed her arms and shoulders, and fell asleep on top of her in a “forced cuddle position” during a stop in Brooklyn.
From Corts’ post:
When we dropped our suitcases off during the daytime, Chase told me he’d sleep on the couch that evening and I could have his room. … Upon arrival at his apartment, Chase changed his mind and told me his roommates wake up early, so he was going to sleep in his bed with me. As a touring person who has shared many a bed with zero incident, I did not think much of it. Once we were in bed, however, he decided to put his hands on me. I told him “no” as he tried to get up my shirt, kissing my arms and shoulders. He did not stop so I rolled away from him, at which point he pinned me up against the wall. He fell asleep on top of me in what I can only describe as a forced cuddle position. I was freaked out and felt very helpless as I was trapped.
Corts wrote that she told Into It. Over It.’s Evan Weiss about the incident, but Weiss “brushed off the whole situation as ‘not a big deal,’” and told her to “shut up and ‘play nice’” if she “still wanted to work for him.” Corts later worked with Igliori on two Into It. Over It. tours in fall 2013 and winter 2014. During that time, Corts wrote, Igliori was “publicly slut-shaming me, as well as telling his bands and others in the industry not to work with me.” She told TrackRecord, which first spoke to her after the publication of her post, that Igliori “never acknowledged what happened that night and he never attempted more advances.”
Igliori apologized, but denied the allegations, in a statement that announced his resignation from Middle West, which also represents Bon Iver and Sylvan Esso.
I am devastated to hear that my actions have caused such pain and anguish, and to those I’ve hurt by this, I am truly sorry. I have a different recollection of the events that took place, but that doesn’t change the fact that anyone felt the way that they did, and for that I am deeply sorry. I have never sexually assaulted anyone, and I have always treated all people in my life with the upmost respect and as equals.
In regard to the professional allegations, I want to be clear, the reason for Hilary’s termination(s) was completely unrelated to the incident cited and came with no attached shaming or slander. Hilary was employed by my artists for multiple years after the alleged incident and any departures or terminations were based solely on the decisions made by the artists alone for reasons unrelated to me. I have always treated all artists, touring crew, other industry professionals and employees with equal respect. I am absolutely horrified to hear that someone felt otherwise.
Middle West confirmed Igliori’s resignation. “There is absolutely no place in the world for hate, violence, abuse, discrimination, or predatory behavior of any kind,” the management company said in a statement.
Weiss released a statement apologizing to Corts. He said he was “heartbroken” by his response to her allegations.
I deeply regret anything I may have said (or didn’t say) that allowed Hilary to have felt silenced or dismissed. I had failed to view the circumstances through the lens of an employee/employer relationship and how that must have made her (or anyone else) feel in regards to her work in the music industry — especially in the IIOI touring party — and I am heartbroken. My deepest apologies to Hilary.
I should have asked more questions. I should have given Hilary the opportunity to be fully heard. As a white man, who is afforded every privilege (especially in the music industry), I will never truly understand the weight that people can feel without such privilege. I cannot even begin to attempt to relate. For Hilary to have left any conversation we had about the issue feeling powerless is not forgivable. I have learned immensely from this experience and this is a mistake I will never allow to happen again.
Hellogoodbye has also given a comment to TrackRecord. You can read the full statements here.
