Movie blogger Devin Faraci has stepped down from working for a second time for Alamo Drafthouse, less than a year after he departed as editor-in-chief of its Birth.Movies.Death. in the wake of being accused of sexual assault.
Drafthouse CEO Tim League made the announcement Wednesday evening — reversing course on his disclosure a day earlier that Faraci was once again working for the Austin, Texas-based movie theater chain and distribution company. League had said on Tuesday that Faraci has “entered recovery” and had been sober since the allegations were made in 2016.
League appeared to have relented to public pressure to terminate contact with the controversial blogger, posting a short letter on Facebook on Wednesday evening that said Faraci had offered his resignation — which was accepted. League also said he was willing to talk to people about the controversy in small group discussions beginning on Friday.
The editor of Drafthouse’s Birth.Movies.Death. website Meredith Borders also made a statement on Wednesday evening that Faraci “has not worked in any capacity for Birth.Movies.Death. — not the website, the magazine or the management of the department.”
League said in the Wednesday announcement that he and Faraci had agreed that it was the “right decision” for Faraci to depart.
The news that Faraci was working for Alamo Drafthouse also caused Todd Brown, a programmer for the related Fantastic Fest, to resign. Brown posted a lengthy explanation on Facebook, saying, “Anyone who has ever suggested that Fantastic Fest and the Drafthouse is just the geek friendly equivalent of the classic Old Boys Club, you have just been proven correct. There it is, the Club utterly ignoring the victim while it creates a protective ring around the perpetrator.”
See the text of League’s letter below.
Hello everyone,
I would like you each to know that I have spoken with Devin today, and we agreed it is the right decision for him to leave the company permanently. He offered his resignation, and I have accepted it.
Our company values the ability to reflect on our own actions both individually and as a team. I have reflected a great deal, and I welcome the opportunity to speak with each of you, to listen and to provide the opportunity for further reflection.
As a result, you will all be receiving an invitation to a series of small group discussions beginning Friday. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me personally with any concerns as we together chart our path forward.
Here is Meredith Border’s statement:
Yesterday, Tim League, owner of the Alamo Drafthouse, released a statement that our former Editor-in-Chief Devin Faraci has been copywriting for the Alamo after stepping down from Birth.Movies.Death. A number of fans were understandably upset by this information, and tonight Tim announced that Devin has officially parted ways from the company for good.
I want to be clear: since Devin’s letter of resignation, he has not worked in any capacity for Birth.Movies.Death.—not the website, the magazine or the management of the department.
As ever, we consider you, our readers, as much a part of this family as anyone employed here. As such, we want to leave the comments section open for you to talk out this situation however you need. That said, I will be strictly moderating to ensure no intolerant or hateful speech crops up, and we will close the comment section tomorrow night for that reason.
For those of you who prefer to discuss this in a more personal sphere, I want you to know that my figurative door is open. Please don’t hesitate to email me at meredith.borders@drafthouse.com.
