Bipolar Today

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The Vermont Youth Orchestra Association and their former conductor, Ronald Braunstein, have settled a discrimination and libel lawsuit. Braunstein was removed from his position in January 2011 after his departure was revealed without explanation in December 2010. Initially, the Board of the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association claimed that Braunstein had been asked to leave because of performance and because of advances he had made to female staff. However, Braunstein sued, and won a settlement for an undisclosed amount of money. Braunstein’s lawyer, James Dumont, said, “We are happy with the outcome.” The board no longer alleges misconduct but rather that it, “wishes to make clear that under Mr. Braunstein’s conducting, VYOA’s students were inspired to reach new levels of musical excellence.” The Vermont Youth Orchestra is one of the most prestigious youth orchestras in Vermont, and has performed in Carnegie Hall and done tours of China, Québec and France. More information about this story can be found here.

Commentary

This story sounds vaguely familiar. Eight days ago, I covered another story in New York State in which a school superintendent was asked to leave. In neither case to we know the details of these lawsuits, but what seems clear in both cases is that the dismissals were tied to bipolar disorder. Unlike in Superintendent Stapleford’s case, however, Braunstein seems to have scored a clear, rather than an ambiguous victory. The more high profile cases there are like this, the more employers will learn that bipolar disorder and mental illnesses in general are not something that constitute grounds for dismissal.

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