more seattle news

The Seattle Weekly has printed an article centering around the “one-woman law firm” of Brenda Little and her lawsuit against Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony on behalf of violinist Peter Kaman. Read the entire article here.

Here’s a tidbit:

Tuxedo Disjunction

Not every toxic work situation can be remedied in court. A Seattle Symphony lawsuit is teaching that lesson the hard way.

By Mark D. Fefer

January 16, 2008

What sort of headache can a single tenacious lawyer cause a monied cultural institution sensitive about its reputation? Kind of a low, throbbing, persistent one.

For almost two years, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra has been wrestling with the one-woman law firm of Brenda Little. She’s a specialist in workplace law. And as anyone reading the local press (or the big Sunday New York Times story last month) is aware, there have been one or two disturbances to the workplace harmony at Benaroya Hall. Namely: anti-conductor conspiracies, vicious online attacks, accusations of “terrorism,” competing press leaks, and other conduct unbecoming a concertmaster.

Little’s dog in this fight is Peter Kaman, a longtime SSO violinist with a childlike demeanor who’s afflicted with strong anxiety and compulsive tendencies. He also has years of pent-up fear and resentment towards SSO’s musical director, Gerard Schwarz.