L.A.’s Cinefamily Theater Suspends Operations in Wake of Sexual Harassment Scandal

The repertory cinema scene of Los Angeles was shocked last week with the revelation of a sexual harassment scandal at the city’s popular Cinefamily movie theater. Anonymous sources spoke out against higher-ups Hadrian Love and Shadie Elnashai, claiming they used their social standing to pressure young, impressionable women. In turn, more women came forward wth stories of gross indignities they had endured while working at Cinefamily, many using their names. The full details of the controversy are truly stomach-churning stuff, available in toto at Jezebel as part of their in-depth report.

The fallout from the accusations was swift and intense: Love and Elnashai both stepped down from their position, celebrities have spoken out on both sides of the issue, and now the movie theater has suspended all operations until further notice. Navigating to the Cinefamily web site redirects you to an official statement that also appeared on the theater’s Twitter account:

They’re checking all the right boxes with their stated commitment to “the investigation and necessary restructure of management and the board.” Bringing in an outside third party to sleuth out and eliminate all misconduct also signals a move in the right direction. But the process of earning the public’s trust back will be a long, difficult one. And there’s no erasing the insidiousness that this symbolizes; preying on women in a space demarcated as safe for people with passions about film. Movie lovers treat theaters like churches; violating them adds an additional layer of repulsion.