Metal Anarchy

Escuela Grind have issued a new statement regarding the recent controversy surrounding the band. According to the group, they are “focus[ing] on moving forward, and working to be the best [they] can be at all times.”

For those unaware, the controversy started after the band allegedly fired guitarist Tom Sifuentes for “bringing up some safety concerns.” This led their former driver, Destiny Hopper, to respond with her own accusations. She blasted the group for their alleged “mistreatment,” while also accusing them of not paying her in full and being dishonest about their support for the LGBTQ+ scene.

Hopper also accused the band’s former tour manager, Chris Cotter, of sexual harassment, a claim he recently expressed regret for in a new statement. Cotter also leveled his own allegations against the band, saying they created a “toxic environment” and would often use inappropriate jokes and nicknames with “excessive sexual humor.”

For their part, Escuela Grind responded with the following:

“We have publicly stayed quiet about the conflict between our previous driver and previous tour manager. We felt it best to first let them each have their say.

The band faced challenges during a six-week tour where we were responsible for many supporting bands. We hired a full crew for the very first time. Mistakes were made in the hiring process, ultimately causing issues the core members had never experienced before on a tour.

Ultimately, we made mistakes. We tried to do what we thought was best, and in the end it wasn’t. We did not know about the personal issues between our former driver and TM until they posted about it online. We immediately parted ways with him. We failed, but we have learned.

Our driver quit on their own terms. They were not abandoned. They chose to go when they did, and we did not know about their plans. Their flight was nonrefundable and non-changeable. The driver was paid in cash weekly. We mailed a check to them for their final week so that we had proper proof of receipt and deposit. We have many receipts of us trying to get in touch with them to pay them through alternative methods like Venmo, etc.

We take blame for not making our expectations clearer and properly vetting our driver.

There was never a moment where either the TM or driver approached us about the concerns they presented in their statements. If approached, we would have acted on this information immediately. Absolutely nothing verbal nor physical was observed in the times we were present. There was never a moment where our TM seriously expressed that he was uncomfortable with the jokes being made on tour. Jokes and nicknames were created just like any other tour. The TM encouraged and instigated many of these jokes, and it appears he is trying to absolve himself of wrongdoing by misrepresenting facts, while still admitting to his inappropriate behavior towards our former driver.

We understand that we let our fans down over the last weeks with our inability to address this situation directly and that has been difficult. Thank you for bearing with us. Bands work in environments where social boundaries are constantly crossed. It seems like a paradox; to find the balance between having a crazy fun tour and being strait-laced professionals. We are working through our growing pains.

This is our final statement on this matter. We now focus on moving forward, and working to be the best we can be at all times. We love y’all always.”

They also added:

“TL;DR: Addressing recent claims. Our previous driver chose to leave and was not abandoned. We tried to pay them but they were unreachable. We fired our former tour manager despite his claims. No complaints of the issues raised in either TM or driver’s statements were raised during the tour. TM participated in jokes and banter, now falsely accusing to deflect. Tour dynamics challenged by balance between professionalism and fun. Mistakes made in crew hiring process. We take full responsibility for our inability to manage situation and vetting process. Much love and gratitude from Escuela Grind.”