BUFFALO, N.Y. — 2 On Your Side has learned of three more departures from the Shea's Board of Trustees amid an internal shakeup of management and the firing of the theater’s general manager.
Bill Patti, the now-former GM, said he was recently fired, citing an email from board chairperson Randall Best. He spoke briefly with 2 On Your Side on Thursday but was advised by his attorney not to elaborate.
He instead offered a prepared statement which read, "I feel that I have been targeted, retaliated against, discriminated against, and I have retained [attorney] Lindy Korn as my counsel."
The three latest departures from the Board of Trustees include former vice chair Sujata Yalamanchili, Ken Jaskier, and Donald Fishback. Yalamancili spoke Thursday with 2 On Your Side. Jaskier and Fishback, however, have not responded.
Their departures come just a week after the Shea's Board of Trustees confirmed that Rich McCarthy and Holly Beecher also resigned from their roles, for a total of five. All aforementioned board members have since been removed from Shea’s website.
Patti and the board members’ departures come amid extensive reporting by The Buffalo News and reporter Mark Sommer. Sommer was first to cover complaints from Shea's employees about President Michael Murphy, who was accused of creating a "toxic" work environment.
Sommer’s story was recently distributed by the theater industry newsletter, the Broadway Briefing bringing national attention to the story.
Shea’s announced last Thursday that Murphy, who recently returned from a leave of absence, would shift his role within in the organization. Murphy was moved off of handling day-to-day operations but Shea's has not said why.
Shea's director of operations Robert Brunschmid has since taken over responsibilities such as business operations, management of theaters, and work with the Shea's Performing Arts management team.
Yalamanchili, who joined the board in the fall of 2020, has been the only board member to speak with 2 On Your Side. She resigned last Friday having served on the building projects committee, given her background as a real estate attorney.
When asked about why she resigned, Yalamanchili said: “There has been some public reporting, there have been some public statements from the board and others, so I will let those speak for themselves at this point. I'm not willing to comment on any of the things you just asked.”
Shea's Board of Trustees responded to 2 On Your Side Thursday evening with the following statement:
“The board positioned Shea’s for continued success. This was not an easy transition, but we’re moving this great institution forward. We’re on course, and we’re confident that we’re doing what’s best for our patrons and sponsors. The shows will go on and better than ever.
“We received professional human resources input into this new management arrangement and we’re committed to seeing it work. We also want to be transparent: Our decisions about management structure were obviously controversial. We had board members who disagreed. We respect their views, but we feel this is the best path forward for Shea’s. With Robert running the day-to-day, and Michael leading more high-level efforts, the board firmly believes we’re drawing on everyone’s strengths. The results will speak for themselves.”