Slam Academy to Close Minneapolis Studio After Misconduct Reports

Slam Academy, a school for electronic music production and DJing, will close its Minneapolis studio at the end of the fall semester following renewed scrutiny of inappropriate behavior by a member of its management team, the organization announced Monday.

Management Responds to Allegations

The school did not identify the team member or detail the alleged behavior in its statement. However, Slam Academy co-founder James Patrick posted a video to his Instagram in which he denied online sexual assault accusations.

"Some of the accusations that I'm reading on the internet right now are heinous and simply not true," Patrick said. "I have to say out loud my truth that I have never made out with or had sex with any Slam Academy staff or student ever. And I have definitely never sexually assaulted anyone in my life."

Patrick acknowledged his conduct had caused harm. "But I know that I have made people feel unsafe with my words and my actions, and that's not okay. Through the years, I have loved my students and staff and friends dearly. I have let that love and affection cause me to act carelessly, and I have endangered the relationships around me that I care so much about."

Former Students Share Accounts Online

A number of former students had shared allegations online prior to the closure announcement. One female music producer claimed to have been assaulted nearly a decade ago, though she attributed the incident to a fellow Slam Academy student and instructor under Patrick's supervision.

"When I tried to come open about it, I lost my friends in the scene, lost promoter connections and could not get a booking in the local area since this happened to me," the artist wrote on Facebook.

Policy Changes Implemented Before Closure

In its statement, Slam Academy said it responded to last year's reports by holding company-wide meetings, consulting legal counsel to review its code of conduct, and introducing a drug- and alcohol-free campus policy. The school also claims to have hired an external human resources team and said its management participated in training on non-violent communication.

"Recently, new light was shed on those reports and concerns about the conduct within our organization was amplified," Slam Academy's statement reads. "We take these concerns seriously, and as a result have made the difficult decision to close our Minneapolis studio at the end of the current semester."

The shutdown marks a turning point for an institution that has served the Twin Cities electronic music community since 2012 and hired a number of prominent artists as instructors.