NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge says Russian soprano Anna Netrebko can move forward with her case claiming national origin discrimination by the Metropolitan Opera, which dropped her after she refused to repudiate President Vladimir Putin over Russia's campaign against Ukraine.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Analisa Nadine Torres in Manhattan was made public Wednesday, a day after it was issued. The case, which will proceed alongside Netrebko's claim of gender discrimination, has yet to be scheduled for trial.
The Met said in a brief statement that the case “was reinstated on technical grounds” and expressed confidence that Netrebko's claims would not succeed.
Met General Manager Peter Gelb had demanded that she repudiate Putin shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but she refused and was withdrawn from three Met productions. The Met replaced her with Ukrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska in at least one of those productions.
“Together with our recent request to add new claims for retaliation and defamation based on Peter Gelb’s renewed public campaign to disparage Ms. Netrebko, this decision sends a powerful message that Ms. Netrebko will continue to stand up for her rights as an artist," the singer's lawyer, Julie Ulmet, said in a statement.
Last August, Torres dismissed the performer's national origin discrimination claim, when she also threw out allegations of defamation and breach of contract. But in her latest decision, the judge wrote that the “allegations support the inference that Netrebko’s replacement by non-Russian artists occurred under circumstances giving rise to at least a ‘minimal’ inference of discrimination.”
The American Guild of Musical Artists filed a grievance on Netrebko’s behalf and arbitrator Howard C. Edelman ruled in February 2023 that the Met violated the union’s collective bargaining agreement when it canceled deals with Netrebko for three productions. Edelman awarded compensation the union calculated at $209,103.48.
Torres allowed Netrebko to proceed with her separate allegation of gender discrimination under the New York State Human Rights Law and New York City Human Rights Law. She said the Met treated Netrebko's male counterparts with connections to Putin and the Russian government more favorably. She cited bass-baritone Evgeny Nikitin and baritones Igor Golovatenko and Alexey Markov, who have continued to sing at the Met.
FILE - Soprano Anna Netrebko attends a news conference on the premiere of Manon Lescaut in the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Oct. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Mark Scheifele had a goal and three assists, Jonathan Toews scored for the fourth consecutive game and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Minnesota Wild 6-2 on Thursday night.
Toews also had an assist, Gabriel Vilardi and Josh Morrissey each had a goal and an assist, and Tanner Pearson and Logan Stanley scored as Winnipeg tied its season high for goals.
Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves as the Jets won their fourth straight following an 11-game losing streak (0-7-4). Winnipeg is 9-1-1 in its past 11 games against the Wild, including six straight wins in Minnesota.
Danila Yurov and Marcus Johansson scored for the Wild, who are 1-3-2 in their last six games. Jesper Wallstedt made 14 saves in two periods; Filip Gustavsson had eight in the third.
Minnesota had the game’s first 10 shots on goal, but Winnipeg scored first when, with a two-man advantage, Toews poked in a rebound of Vilardi's shot.
It was the 900th career point for Toews, who last had goals in four straight games in March 2014. He had three goals in his first 42 games this season.
Pearson put home his own rebound with 11 seconds left in the opening period. A one-timer from Morrissey made it 3-0 eight seconds later.
It was the fastest two goals scored since the franchise relocated to Winnipeg. Ron Hainsey and Chris Thorburn scored seven seconds apart for the Atlanta Thrashers on Dec. 2, 2008.
Yurov got the Wild within 3-1 early in the second period, but Stanley scored on a slap shot, Vilardi on a rebound and Scheifele went bar down later in the frame for his 13th career four-point game.
Morrissey’s assist on Vilardi’s goal gave him 90 career multipoint games, passing Dustin Byfuglien for the most by a defenseman in Jets history.
Jets: Host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Wild: Begin a three-game trip Saturday at Buffalo.
AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
Winnipeg Jets left wing Cole Koepke (45) tries to slap the puck away from Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Johansson (90) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)
Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) stops a shot as defenseman Jared Spurgeon, left and defenseman Daemon Hunt, second from right, tries to clear Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews (19) and center Gabriel Vilardi (13) from the goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 15, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)
Winnipeg Jets left wing Tanner Pearson (70) hits the puck over Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt to score a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley, second from right, celebrates with right wing Nino Niederreiter (62), center Vladislav Namestnikov (7) and center Cole Perfetti (91) after scoring against the Minnesota Wild during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)
Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews (19) scores a goal as he's checked by Minnesota Wild defenseman Jake Middleton (5) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 15, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)
