Former Lorde manager Scott Maclachlan fired from Warner Music after admitting to harassment



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Music manager Scott Maclachlan has been fired by Warner Music after admitting years of harmful behavior.

Chris skelton

Music manager Scott Maclachlan has been fired by Warner Music after admitting years of harmful behavior.

The music manager who discovered singer Lorde and helped make her an international star was fired from his position at Warner Music New Zealand after admitting years of harassing behavior.

Scott Maclachlan’s firing on Sunday followed a Stuff The #MeTooNZ investigation led him to publicly admit to years of harmful actions towards staff and colleagues. He said Stuff on Friday he was in intensive psychotherapy and was trying to “live a simpler and less selfish life.”

Maclachlan said he had been guilty of “stupid, insensitive and ignorant comments” to women in the industry, including asking them if they wanted to have sexual contact with him and making comments about their bodies.

“Not a day goes by that I do not regret the harm I have caused to the people around me and, most importantly, the pain and shame I have caused my wife and children. I have to live with that guilt, knowing that the people I worked with have also endured the pain and stress from my actions, ”Maclachlan said. Stuff.

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Confirming that Maclachlan had been laid off, a spokesman for Warner Australasia in Sydney said the company was committed to “providing a safe and professional environment for our entire team.”

”Our Code of Conduct is very clear regarding harassment of any kind. All allegations are taken seriously and action is taken if any employee’s behavior violates that code.

“We investigated what we believed to be an isolated incident in 2018, with the assistance of an outside expert, and went beyond what they advised with disciplinary action. Now that we have learned of these additional incidents, we have terminated Scott Maclachlan’s employment contract with immediate effect, ”the spokesperson said.

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Maclachlan did not respond when contacted Sunday after Warner Music revealed his firing.

He was hired as Senior Vice President of Artists and Repertoire (A&R) for Warner Music Australasia in 2018. Within five months, he had been kicked out of the music giant’s Australian offices after an external investigation into a sexual harassment allegation.

Maclachlan was demoted but remained with the company as an A&R specialist in Auckland. Stuff understands that privacy requirements meant that few Warner New Zealand employees were informed of the investigation or its outcome.

As part of Stuff Amy Goldsmith, a former employee of the Auckland-based management company she founded, Saiko Management, said Maclachlan sexually harassed and emotionally manipulated her while working for him. Maclachlan admitted that his claims were true.

She said: “He would hint that he wanted more (than his professional relationship), he would comment on my body, he would ask me if I wanted to kiss him. Most of the time I told him to shut up. “

Maclachlan said Stuff He deeply regretted his behavior.

“I am totally sorry for the intense pressure and responsibility that I put on that employee. He was in a very dark place, considered the employee a confidant and was looking for help. I, of course, realize that this was not the right person to contact.

“I accept the damaging impact of my past behavior and try every day to repair the damage and prevent it from happening again.”

The president of the Music Managers Forum (MMF), Teresa Patterson, said in a statement that the organization was “shocked and saddened to hear these stories of damage done by people in our industry.”

He said that the MMF had a Code of Conduct in place since 2015, which was “a guide to what is expected of all members of the MMF NZ. The purpose of the code is to encourage the professional, ethical and expert behavior of our members ”. Patterson said that membership was voluntary.

“We know we can and should do better as an industry,” said Patterson.

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