Just in: Principal oboe sues the NY Philharmonic - Slippedisc

Liang Wang, the principal oboe of the New York Philharmonic since 2006, has filed a lawsuit against the orchestra and Local 802, alleging suspension without cause. This action follows a negative magazine article that inaccurately revisited a decade-old event, which led to his suspension two days post-publication. Wang's legal team criticizes the Philharmonic for reacting to public sentiment stirred by the article rather than facts established during a 2019 arbitration.

The lawsuit claims that the Philharmonic and the union failed to protect Wang's rights, leading to his professional and personal damages, including being barred from performances and teaching roles. Wang seeks compensatory and punitive damages, asserting that the union and orchestra breached their contractual obligations by succumbing to misleading public reactions rather than adhering to the arbitration outcome.