mayhem in the music world

David Daniels, Opera Star, Accused of Sexual Assault

​Operas usually contain a lot of drama—murder, affairs, wars, suicide, rape. Sometimes, that drama leaks from the stage into the lives of those who sing this prodigious art form.

David Daniels, famed countertenor, joined the University of Michigan faculty in the fall of 2015. Just three years later, just after being promoted to a tenured position, he found himself on paid leave after two men, one a University of Michigan student, accused him of sexual assault. Daniels, 52, has not yet been charged with a crime. It is not clear whether he has hired an attorney.

The first allegations surfaced in August and involve baritone Samuel Schultz. Schultz told the press that he decided to come forward with his story because of Daniels’ appointment to the University of Michigan’s music faculty, where he would have access to young singers. Schultz even went as far as filing a complaint with the University of Michigan’s special victims unit in July 2018. The incident is now being investigated by the Houston Police Department.

Schultz initially made a public announcement by posting what he called a “statement” on his website in August. The statement refers to Daniels and his partner, conductor Scott Walters, as “a celebrated opera singer and his boyfriend.” Schultz revealed the full story soon after the initial post.

According to an interview with The Daily News, Schultz met Daniels in 2010, while pursuing his master’s degree at the Rice University. Daniels was in town starring in the Houston Grand Opera’s production of Handel’s Xerxes; Schultz allegedly met him and Walters at a closing party for the production.

Daniels allegedly invited Schultz back to the apartment at which he was housed for his stay, telling him not to tell others about the invitation so as not to arouse envy. Schultz, who didn’t usually drink, reportedly accepted an alcoholic beverage at the apartment and blacked out after a few mouthfuls. The next thing he knew, the police complaint alleges, it was afternoon the following day and he was “in a bed alone, completely naked. I was sore and I didn’t know why. I made my way to the bathroom to figure out why I hurt. I was bleeding from my rectum.”

“I tiptoed out of the bedroom to discover that David and Scott were not there,” the report continues. “When they came back from eating somewhere, I think they asked if I had a good time. … I remember David saying, ‘Don’t worry about the BB thing, I’m totally negative.’” BB is short for bareback, or having sex without protection.

“I was so naïve that I didn’t know that I should have gone to the hospital or even what a “rape kit” is,” Schultz says on his website. He reportedly told a few people—a friend and a therapist—soon after the rape, and the pair have corroborated Schultz’s story.

The second allegations came out in late October, when Andrew Lipian, a countertenor studying with Daniels at U of M, filed a lawsuit against Daniels and school. Daniels was Lipian’s voice teacher at the university, so the pair met for hour-long private voice lessons once a week. The bond between a voice teacher and student is often one of strong mentorship, and since countertenors are so rare, Daniels and Lipian had a lot in common. Daniels reportedly set up special meeting for Lipian with conductors and other important authorities in the industry, promised to introduced the young singer to his manager, and even told Lipian had he would likely receive a full fellowship for his master’s degree.
 
However, Lipian alleges, things went badly awry. Daniels reportedly told Lipian that he was “really hot” on multiple occasions. The lawsuit alleges that Daniels sent Lipian inappropriate text messages, including pornographic photos, a video of himself masturbating, and requests for photos of Lipian’s genitals. The worst offense allegedly occurred when Daniels drugged and sexually assaulted Lipian after inviting him to his apartment.

According to the lawsuit, the incident took place on March 24, 2017, when Daniels invited Lipian over to watch “RuPaul’s Drag Race”; the teacher reportedly told Lipian that he wanted to discuss Lipian’s “career” and that he was “lonely.” Lipian reportedly consumed a few glasses of bourbon before he told Daniels that he was fatigued and needed rest before a performance the following day. Daniels gave him what he said was a Tylenol PM; however, the pill purportedly turned out to be Ambien. After Lipian took the pill, Daniels allegedly removed Lipian’s clothing and groped the younger man.

The lawsuit alleges that the school was aware of Daniel’s open discussion of sexual topics with both staff and students, but did not take action. To make matters worse, although the matter was reported to the University Office of Institutional Equity, Lipian was never contacted as part of an internal investigation.
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Daniels and Walters have, at the time of writing, denied all charges. “These allegations are both false and malicious," Daniels said in a statement released on Halloween, pertaining to Lipian’s charges. “I have never had a physical relationship with the individual mentioned in this complaint. The events alleged here never happened and I intend to defend my reputation. I am an openly gay man who has been married to a wonderful partner for the past four years. It pains me that someone, for reasons that I cannot fathom, would attempt to destroy my career, the program at Michigan and all that I hold dear."

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