At the filmmaker’s request, USC will remove director Bryan Singer’s name from a division of its School of Cinematic Arts, at least temporarily, while he faces a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault, officials said Friday.
According to the university, Singer “has requested that the USC School of Cinematic Arts suspend the use of his name on the Division of Cinema & Media Studies until the allegations against him are resolved.”
“The school means a great deal to Bryan, and while he intends to defend himself vigorously against these claims, he does not want the pending litigation to have any negative impact on his alma mater,” according to USC.
Singer was accused in a lawsuit filed this week of sexually assaulting a then-17-year-old boy in Seattle more than a decade ago. Singer has denied the allegation.
Singer has faced sexual misconduct allegations in the past, and some USC Cinematic Arts students created an online petition asking that his name be removed from the school.
“Despite Singer’s philanthropic work for SCA, having his name attached to a division of the School of Cinematic Arts gives the impression that we, both as an institution and as members of the entertainment industry, value his financial contributions over the safety, respect and future of students,” according to the petition. “It sets a precedent of lenience for sexual criminals and further undermines the visibility and respect that victims of harassment and assault deserve.”
In October, the School of Cinematic Arts rejected a proposed $5 million donation from producer Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused by dozens of women of sexual harassment or assault. Weinstein has denied engaging in any non- consensual sexual activity.
Weinstein’s donation was expected to create an endowment for women filmmakers.
Singer is best known for directing films such as “The Usual Suspects,” “X Men” and “Superman Returns.”
–City News Service