Samantha Maloney’s story begins where most sexual harassment claims in the music industry end: with a non-disclosure agreement. It was February 2018 when Maloney signed the document that would perpetually silence her regarding speaking out about a sexual harassment incident she allegedly experienced while working at Warner Music Group’s flagship record label Warner Records.
Maloney, a former vice president of A&R at the label, was let go from the company in late September 2017 as part of a company restructuring. She signed a separation agreement and was paid severance. About a month later, her lawyer wrote to WMG alleging misconduct by executives both at Warner Records and WMG she’d heard about and, in one case, personally encountered. That final allegation involved one of the company’s highest-ranking executives: Maloney alleged that she’d been propositioned by WMG chief executive Stephen Cooper.
The company immediately launched an investigation. Three months later, Warner Music Group paid Maloney $240,000 and she agreed to never publicly speak about the claims. (Maloney declined to comment on any specific allegations for this article, but said she “support[s] any effort to expose the coverup of sexual abuse in the music industry.”)
Maloney’s allegations and the steps the company took at the conclusion of the investigation, critics of the company and the broader entertainment industry say, are indicative of a wider pattern: Misconduct accusers are silenced with ironclad NDAs, while powerful male executives are protected against a public airing of allegations against them. In recent years, advocates and lawyers who represent employees have increasingly criticized NDAs in the context of sexual harassment allegations, asserting they keep claims against powerful members of the entertainment industry protected from public view.
Maloney’s claims against Warner start in February 2017. Warner Music Group’s top executives were celebrating the…