Dearborn Youth Theater participants and parents complained at the Oct. 26 city council meeting that the technical director of the Michael A. Guido Theater placed a hidden camera in a storage area, ostensibly to deter theft, but which was used for youth costume fittings, and that he made anti-Arabic comments.
Youth, parents call for technical director’s ouster
By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN – Dearborn Youth Theater participants and parents complained during the Oct. 26 City Council meeting about the technical director’s placement of a camera in a storage room used for costume fittings.
The technical director, who is a city of Dearborn employee, reportedly said that the camera was placed in a storage area to prevent theft, and the area was not meant to be used as a costume fitting or changing area.
The DYT children and parents also complained about the technical director’s alleged use of anti-Arabic slurs, and called for his removal.
While those at the meeting referred to the offender as the Michael A. Guido Theater’s technical director, and did not use his name during the meeting, multiple sources confirmed after the meeting that the allegations refer to city employee Don Bean.
When reached by phone Oct. 28, Bean said he was unable to comment on the matter, but said, “I hope the things will be corrected.”
He said he has been associated with Dearborn theater since the 1970s.
Police Chief Ronald Haddad said the students’ presentations at the council meeting were “heartfelt,” and that Police Department personnel are reviewing them closely for new information.
“The safety of all citizens is paramount, and this investigation is ongoing,” he said.
At the Oct. 26 council meeting, during the time reserved for attendees’ comments, DYT youth and adults spoke for more than an hour. The young people shared the positive impact of the theater program on their lives, and mentioned how they felt violated by the hidden camera, and hurt by Islamophobic comments.
DYT volunteer Abdullah Abouhashim said he came forward to speak because of what he characterized as a blind eye that department heads turned toward the actions of the theater’s technical director.
“Although the actions of this individual were condemned, no actions were taken,” he said.
Former DYT participate Jenna Kobeissi, who wears a hijab, said she is probably the first to be cast as a Disney princess wearing a hijab, an opportunity she attributes to the DYT program.
She said the goal of the program is to provide a safe and inclusive space regardless of culture, religion or gender, and this sense of safeness was jeopardized when a camera was found in a room where costumes were stored and actors were fitted.
She said that the adults overseeing the DYT did not know that any camera surveillance was being used.
“How am I, a hijabi girl, who has been fitted and undressed in that room, supposed to be OK with the fact that a man, who has no business conducting his own personal investigation, was secretly and privately recording,” she said.
Sophia Santana, a DYT participant, said the incident is worthy of discussion.
“What I am respectfully asking is for the individual, who was discovered to have committed this horrible violation of our trust, to be dealt with in accordance to your policies, that I believe includes termination,” she said.
DYT participant Mouna Saghir asked what happened to the camera footage that was recorded without the actors’ knowledge, and characterized it as “a huge breach of privacy.”
Council President Susan Dabaja said she hopes those who conducted the original investigation understand the severity of the allegations being made.
“I feel very strongly that there should be disclosure, if not to everyone, to those in charge, so there can be some form of privacy given to anyone changing in that room, but especially our children,” she said. “And if there was any wrongdoing, it be addressed immediately.”
Dabaja called for a policy to be put in place to prevent anything like this from happening again.
“I can’t imagine dropping off my child and knowing there is a camera where they are changing, whether you are hijabi or not,” she said. “It should not be happening in our world.”
Dabaja said she hopes this action was looked at “with a very strong lens.”
“As a lawyer, I do believe that you have to do your investigation before you can make a statement of fact,” she said. “So, I do hope, if there was a responsible party, that it was addressed appropriately.”
Councilman David Bazzy asked City Attorney Debra Walling to supply the council members with whatever information they can have from the Police Department and the Recreation Department for review.
“If there is information out there that we haven’t seen, I think it is this body’s purview to get a better look,” he said.
Councilwoman Erin Byrnes said, as an educator, she feels very strongly about young people having the right to be safe, respected and work with adults they trust.
“Being around adults who respect you and who treat everyone with dignity is incredibly important, and is certainly something that I want to see in our city,” she said.
Councilman Michael Sareini said he followed this investigation earlier, and said what he heard from DYT participants during the meeting is contrary to information he had received earlier.
“What I was told was that it was not a dressing room, there was not an expectation of privacy, and now they are saying it was a dressing room,” he said. “So, there are a lot of questions, and now we have contradictory information.”
Sareini said he was told that the individual’s phone was turned over to the Police Department, and it was verified that there was no information on it.
“We are going to have to go through now, and get another report,” he said. “It is clear to me, for this amount of people to come, that there is a concern.”
DYT Artistic Director Rashid Baydoun said that while many of his experiences at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center have been positive, there remain many challenges.
“I sent an email and letter to city officials, council members, our mayor and his chief of staff about the outrageous and disturbing actions at the hands of the department leader, who has been able to operate with impunity because of our leadership vacuum that currently exists,” he said. “Our families have endured and overcome floods and stay-at-home orders, and the disparity between our rising taxes and the quality of services which this city provides, and we have done so because of the love that we have for our city.”
Baydoun said he came before the city council with a heavy heart.
“More than ever, we need bold leadership, and ideas that will help uplift our communities and transform our neighborhoods,” he said. “I stand before you, humbled, by these artists, these leaders, the future. My question to you is, ‘Will you hear our city’s youth?’”