Back in August 2016, New York’s Upright Citizens Brigade theaters banned a comedian after multiple women came forward with rape allegations against him, and now he’s suing UCB over what he claims is “reverse gender discrimination.†According to the New York Post, Aaron Glaser has filed a federal suit against UCB, arguing that the theater “should be stripped of the federal money it received as part of a small-business loan for believing ‘hollow and wrongful allegations of sexual misconduct’ because of its prejudice against men.†The suit also alleges that in making the decision to ban him, UCB artistic director Shannon O’Neill “labeled Mr. Glaser a ‘privileged white man’ and decided that he must be guilty because he looks like other people who have been guilty of crimes in the past.â€
The Post article also notes that Glaser filed a $38 million lawsuit in 2016 against Tonight Show writer Jasmine Pierce for calling him a rapist in a Facebook post, but the suit was dropped in September 2017 because Glaser ran out of money. Here’s what Glaser’s lawyer Mark Shirian told Jezebel about the forthcoming UCB lawsuit at the time:
This lawsuit that will be filed against the UCB will hopefully shed light on the fact that many employers are ill-equipped, uneducated and clueless when it comes to investigating complaints of sexual harassment and assault. Our goal with this litigation will be to empower employers to conduct investigations in a non-negligent matter [sic] so victims will feel more comfortable to make complaints against harassers. Moreover, we hope that employers will conduct investigations in a manner that ensures that guilty harasser’s [sic] are disciplined accordingly. The investigation that the UCB was negligent because Mr. Glaser was never given the opportunity to participate in the investigation. The UCB owed a duty of care to Mr. Glaser and others to conduct that process in a non-negligent manner and with due care. The applicable standard of care is also informed by the requirements of Title IX and the Clery Act, as the UCB is also school that has received federal funding The UCB’s conduct, as described above, fell below the applicable standard of care and amounted to a breach of the UCB’s duty of care. Moreover, the failure to conduct a hearing deprived Mr. Glaser of his rights. This deprivation, in violation of the Clery Act, was also a breach of the UCB’s duty of care.
Speaking to the Post, Glaser said he’s suing UCB because they never questioned him or identified his accusers, and he went on to accuse Saturday Night Live of targeting him directly in its recent “Next: For Men†deodorant sketch:
Glaser wasn’t questioned as part of the “sham investigation,’’ yet “somehow, I’ve been convicted of a very, very serious crime by what is literally a clown college,†he told The Post. The comic says his ouster caused him to have a “mental breakdown.†Since then, Glaser also has “been unable to secure any comedy opportunities, and his employment prospects are close to nonexistent,†his lawyer, Mark Shirian, adds in the suit. Glaser thinks a recent SNL sketch about a deodorant for “men who are feeling the heat because their #TimesUp’’ is even a reference to him. “I’m a punch line,†Glaser glowered.