Expelled from Eastman

Complaint to the Division of Human Rights - Executive Summary

Update (January 2026): The case remains unresolved. The Eastman School of Music and its parent institution, University of Rochester, have refused to offer a substantive explanation for their actions.

• UR President Sarah Mangelsdorf refused to respond to two formal letters from Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) documenting clear policy violations and retaliatory conduct. See thefire.org/rochester.

• The institution also refused an independent investigation, despite documented concerns regarding the integrity of their internal process.

• In its submission to the New York State Division of Human Rights, the school:

  • Demonstrably misrepresented the findings of its own internal investigation

  • Submitted anonymous posts from a student smear campaign as evidence

  • Characterized the harassment report as “self-centered”

  • Referred to its own reporting process as “a saga”

• In formal correspondence, FIRE described the school’s posture as revealed in its DHR statement as one of “obvious contempt.”

• Neil Varon, found in violation of harassment and privacy policies as determined by university investigation, remains employed at Eastman.

• John Hain, who threatened me with litigation after I published about his mishandling of the complaint—also verified by investigation—remains Eastman’s Senior Associate Dean and Title IX Coordinator.

• Aan investigative article is linked here. FIRE’s formal correspondence is linked here. This is provided for current and prospective students, faculty, staff, and others seeking a documented account of how these institutions handled harassment complaints.

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On February 25, 2025, I was expelled from the Eastman School of Music

As of today, I have filed a complete report to the New York State Division of Human Rights under penalty of perjury, detailing all of the misconduct I observed and experienced in nearly two years at Eastman.

Press Conference: Today—4/30, Noon, UR River Campus

University of Rochester’s Graduate Labor Union is holding a press conference to announce my DHR filing at noon today at UR’s main entrance—the corner of Elmwood and Wilson Boulevards—along with SEIU200 and City Counselor and Mayoral Candidate Mary Lupien.

I’m extremely grateful for the GLU’s support. They were some of the first people I called. I hope you’ll support them in their ongoing strike. UR cannot allow this kind of abuse and deny grad workers the right to organize. I wish I could be on the picket line myself.

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The text below is taken directly from my complaint to the New York State Division of Human Rights.

Executive Summary

Rebecca Bryant Novak v. Eastman School of Music / University of Rochester

Complaint of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, deliberate indifference/failure to act

Submitted to the New York State Division of Human Rights - 2025-04-30

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In 2023, I was admitted to the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in orchestral conducting at the Eastman School of Music with a full scholarship and teaching assistantship. During my first semester, I reported harassment by Professor of Conducting Neil Varon, in addition to pervasive erratic behavior and verbal aggression corroborated by faculty, students, and administrators.

Varon said that I had been “impregnated” by a former instructor, with ongoing comments such as, “I need to get him out of you.” I later received unwanted communication from that instructor at Varon’s initiation which said, “just do what he tells you to do.” According to Eastman archives, Varon has admitted just three women—including myself—to the doctoral program in over twenty years.

I reported the harassment with ample documentation. I initially declined to file a formal report, instead requesting limited contact with Varon. Eastman Title IX Coordinator John Hain denied the request, immediately suggested I transfer, and later stated, “He’s faculty, so we trust his judgment.” Hain later threatened me—via his attorney J. Morgan Levy—with a defamation suit for publishing my account of his actions, which I had reported to the university months prior.

After a year-long investigation, the University of Rochester formally determined that Varon had violated harassment policy, and that Eastman grossly mishandled the complaint. Hain and Varon were assigned to training. I received no recourse or protection.

Eastman allowed Varon to retain control over my academic trajectory without oversight, despite my objections, after I had reported him for harassment and publicly disclosed his actions. The decisions by Varon and Eastman leadership were so damaging and inappropriate, multiple faculty members intervened. Graduate Dean Matthew Ardizzone told me explicitly that the school limited my performance dates, specifically because I reported Varon. When I stated, in writing, that the actions violated university policy, the school did not deny the claim and proceeded with the decisions. As a result, UR opened a second investigation into the school’s continued misconduct under the leadership of Eastman’s first female dean, Kate Sheeran.

On February 25, 2025, after I publicly disclosed the additional investigation—and spoke out about Eastman’s history of protecting abusive men—I was expelled without warning, process, prior disciplinary actions, or opportunity to appeal, in a communication from Matthew Ardizzone, Reinhild Steingröver, and Kate Sheeran. The school cited a single policy to justify the expulsion—and then bypassed every step of the multi-semester process that policy unambiguously requires. I was ordered to turn in my keys and badge to security within 24 hours. My access to university email and critical records was immediately cut off.

The administrators who expelled me were under active investigation. The men I reported for verified misconduct remain employed at Eastman. I—the reporting student—have been expelled. I am seeking immediate reinstatement—plus full restitution and accountability.

(End of DHR Excerpt)

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Greetings from Tennessee

First of all, I’m okay. I’m glad to be able to survive this, name it, and challenge it. This story is one of far too many, and it will never change until we start saying it out loud.

It took me six weeks of full-time writing to finish the DHR complaint. My wife provided an endless supply of snacks and moral support. It’s been nice to spend time with her and the cats.

As for what’s next—we’ll see. More on that soon.

If you want to offer some support, please consider being a free or paid subscriber. If you feel called to action—speak up. And, of course, stay tuned.

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