Music academy council chair steps down

Helēna Demakova, Chairperson of the Council of the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, has resigned, she said in a statement on Saturday, March 16.

Demakova explained that she was resigning because this was an emotionally difficult time for her.

"I also do not want the quality of my lectures at the Art Academy of Latvia to suffer. It is up to the whole Council to decide whether the work of the Council should continue," Demakova said.

"I am very sorry if I have betrayed the trust of the Minister of Culture and the girls who have suffered," Demakova said.

Commenting on Demakova's resignation, Culture Minister Agnese Logina (Progressives) said that the future work of the Council should be decided by the whole Council.

In the light of evidence of alleged harassment of female students by teachers at the Academy of Music, the Council of the Academy, which had been chaired by Demakova, expressed no confidence in the Rector Gunārs Prānis, calling on him to resign. However, Prānis did not take such a step.

"To clean ourselves up, however, leadership is needed. Leadership has to come from day one, not from the fourth day of getting someone fired. But it has to be done immediately. And we didn't quite see that leadership. Because the offenses are too serious," Demakova told the media earlier.

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