Ex-boss of Sydney Symphony Orchestra says she was sacked after investigating sexual abuse claims

Chief executive of major orchestra takes legal action saying she was sacked from high-paying role two years early after investigating sexual abuse claims

• Former chief executive of Sydney Symphony ­Orchestra was sacked last year
• Emma Dunch claims she was fired after following up on sexual abuse claims
• Ms Dench recently launched legal ­action in the Federal Court against the SSO
• She alleges when in role, multiple employees approached her with abuse claims 

By Andrew Prentice For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 15:52 BST, 7 April 2022 | Updated: 15:52 BST, 7 April 2022

The one time chief executive of the Sydney Symphony ­Orchestra has taken legal action after claiming she was sacked when she followed up multiple claims of sexual abuse.

Emma Dunch has alleged she looked to investigate at least six allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment by male musicians in the orchestra – only to then be axed from her $530,000-a-year job.

When she pursued a review by former Commonwealth Sex Discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick of other claims, Ms Dunch alleges she was let go with two years to run on her contract. 

Ms Dench has launched legal ­action in the Federal Court against the SSO as well as former chair Geoff Wilson, alleging adverse action under the Fair Work Act and breach of her ­contract, according to The Australian.

She was paid $471,302 on termination but is seeking an extra $74,560 for breach of contract, and also alleges she suffered from ‘anxiety, shock and distress’ when unexpectedly sacked.

Ms Dunch was dismissed in December last year, and claimed she was a ‘hit job’ victim after she had pushed the NSW government to honour previous funding commitments.

Emma Dunch, the one time chief executive of the Sydney Symphony ­Orchestra, has taken legal action against her former employer after claiming she was sacked when she followed up multiple claims of sexual abuse

Ms Dunch also alleges she was continually harassed as she chased up $5million in promised funding from the NSW government

Earlier renovation delays of the Sydney Opera House concert hall could have resulted in multi-million-dollar losses for the orchestra.

Ms Dunch pointed to what she believed was ‘ongoing harassment’ as she pursued up to $5million in funding.

‘We all know NSW politics is a blood sport, however I’ve been targeted with a politically architected ‘hit job’ of the highest order across the past several years,’ she said at the time.

Her time in charge of the SSO was controversial.

A review by the former chief executive of the London Philharmonic, Tim Walker, found many staff were seeking opportunities elsewhere due to constant ‘micromanagement.’

According to the court documents, in May last year a female musician alleged she had been sex­ually assaulted by another per­former.  

Over the next two months, six current and former SSO employees approached Ms Dunch with similar complaints, she alleges.

She then hired former Commonwealth Sex Discrimination commissioner Ms Broderick to conduct a review of the workplace.

Ms Broderick concluded there had been ‘systemic sexual harassment, bullying, racism and behavioural issues…dating back more than two decades, as attested to by approximately 60 interviewees’ at the SSO.  

In December, Ms Dunch’s employment was terminated with immediate effect.  

An SSO spokesman said they would be ‘vigorously contesting’ the claims made by Ms Dunch.

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