As if North Miami didn’t have enough scandals to deal with, Babacar M’bow’s career as the director and curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art came to a screeching halt today amid accusations of sexual harassment, inappropriate touching and explicit sexual language.
OUCH!
A Memorandum sent today from North Miami Personnel Administration Director Joseph Roglieri, Jr. to Interim City Manager Arthur Sorey, described the results of an investigation into a complaint filed by MOCA employee Tiffany Madera. The Memorandum concluded that her allegations were sustained.
The Personnel Director also determined that Mr. M’bow created a hostile work environment, even though that charge was not included in the complaint.
In addition, Mr. Roglieri noted that M’bow was “away without authorized leave for four (4) days,” and stated that “leaving the country in the face of an investigation of improper conduct is unexplainable and inexcusable.”
Not only did Mr. Roglieri recommend terminating Babacar M’bow, but Interim City Manager Arthur Sorey III promptly fired him, effective immediately.
Some of the accusations made by Ms. Madera and other employees are quite shocking indeed. According to the Memorandum, M’bow has repeatedly – and publicly – said things like, “staff has to get laid,” “skanky bitch,” and “feminist rhetoric.”
And those are just some of the things fit to print in this “family magazine.”
Of course, if you are so inclined you can always click the link and experience the proverbial Full Monty for yourself in its entirety.
Just saying.
According to the report, during his interview with Personnel Director Roglieri, Mr. M’bow “went on a lengthy discourse” about “creative tension” and “porn ruins.”
Alrighty then.
Babacar M’bow told Mr. Roglieri that, “Pornography is an art field.”
In response, the Personnel Director noted that this “was an attempt to somehow excuse his behavior through some venue of artistic expression.”
Mr. Roglieri also came to the conclusion that “It does not matter if pornography is an “Art Form,” this does not excuse using sexually explicit language and making sexual innuendos in the work place.”
Ya think?
In any event, in case you’ve spent many sleepless nights contemplating “Porn Ruins” (or “Ruin Porn,” as they say in Detroit), an article Mr. M’bow posted on his Facebook page in an what appears to be an attempt to defend his position, should clear things up for you.
Or not.
Babacar’s weirdly inexcusable excuse for his alleged sexually boorish behavior also unwittingly describes his most ungraceful fall from grace.
Where the beleaguered Museum of Contemporary Art is concerned, there is now no doubt that porn ruins.
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
“Artistic” is not a synonym for “slimy bastard”? Who knew.
Only Nigeria, home of the world’s greatest fraudsters, can produce “Porn Ruins” and pass it off as art.
Who dumb idea was it to paint MOCA white, like the police station? Babacar’s?
If the manager can fire the head of MOCA why can’t he fire the Chief of Police who is obviously incompetent?
Many Inaccuracies in your piece. This is reminiscent of the hatchet jobs that used to be done on people in Miami back in the day. Lies become facts quickly. The offensive language all comes from the person who co-planned this and who has lived the life that she describes.
Oh, do tell, Mr. Cambridge from the UK. Please enlighten me on the “Many Inaccuracies” in my piece.
If you are referring to my reporting that Mr. M’bow was fired, that is actually a fact.
If you are referring to my quoting of statements made by parties interviewed by the Personnel Director, those are also accurately reported. Read the Memorandum for yourself if you don’t believe me. I quoted those excerpts verbatim.
If, in fact, you are referring to the allegations made by the complainant, Ms. Madera, I didn’t make those up, either. Her accusations of “sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, explicit sexual language,” (again, this is a direct quote – the quotation marks should be a dead giveaway), were corroborated by several witnesses. In fact, Mr. M’bow himself admitted to pretty much all of it.
If you are claiming that Ms. Madera is lying, you’d be hard pressed to prove it under the circumstances.
But here’s the thing, Mr. Cambridge. I’m not sure how they do things in the UK, here in America we don’t put victims on trial. We also have a First Amendment which guarantees freedom of expression, artistic and otherwise. Mr. M’bow might be entirely correct that “Pornography is an Art Form,” however, he does not have the right to impose his art form on unwilling recipients. Here in the States, art imitates life, not the other way around.
And furthermore, I find it a tad amusing that a Brit is lecturing moi about “inaccuracies” and “hatchet jobs.” Considering that it’s not a crime here in the States to express one’s artistic self by drawing Mohammed (or to put Jesus in a glass of urine, for that matter), we don’t allow people to be beheaded in the street because … diversity.
Perhaps you didn’t get the memo, but the Revolutionary War is over. We won.
As for my commentary on this whole incident, I still fail to see any of my “Many Inaccuracies.”
While, I realize that the British aren’t known for their “humour,” here in America, Comedy is an Art Form.
So is Sarcasm, which is my personal “favourite.”
Ricky you sound like you know Tiffanyand hher sordid past. I would love to learn more about this. Stephanie you were indeed inaccurate in saying that others backed up her wilder stayements. In fact nobody on the staff said they heard the words she quotes. I should know since I am said to be the subject of some of these outrageous quips. I was at the famous bar event. I did not hear any Hong of that nature. She has motives to lie including getting a better job and revenge on a boss who she felt didn’t acknowledge her genius. A he screwed up r repay edgy at work and made a pint of cozy in up to folks at city hall who were interested in finding a a way to get rid of babacar– to be replaced by a director that the white east sides would prefer.
I bet that MOCA board is laughing their collective asses off right about now. They didn’t want him and he proved himself to be a dipshit.