The executive director of the San Francisco Girls Chorus has been placed on administrative leave following allegations of lewd conduct at the organization’s performing arts center.
The Board of Directors was scheduled to vote Friday at 6 p.m. on terminating Seth Ducey’s employment contract. Ducey, who was hired in September, admitted to engaging in inappropriate behavior at the Kanbar Performing Arts Center near City Hall after explicit images of him surfaced in emails that were sent to chorus staff.
According to the board, 13 staff members received emails Monday containing screenshots of a WhatsApp conversation that included pornographic images of Ducey at the concert hall. According to Sam Singer, a PR professional working for the Girls Chorus, Ducey took the photos in the bathroom.
The person to whom he sent the images, was not in any way affiliated with the chorus, according to the board.
Ducey initially denied involvement but Thursday admitted that the screenshots were authentic.
He claimed he was the victim of a blackmail attempt, saying the images were distributed after he refused to pay what the board described as “sextortion” money.
The board emphasized that no chorus members or staff were victims of Ducey’s actions. The WhatsApp conversation did not reference the chorus or any members of its community. Mentions of Ducey appear to have been removed from the chorus’ website, and his email address is no longer active.
Ducey has had a long career in music. He worked for the Golden State Youth Orchestra, the Oakland Symphony, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music over a period of 25 years, according to his LinkedIn page.
The Standard’s attempts to reach Ducey were unsuccessful.