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	Choral Group Asked to Cancel Conductor's Appearance at Niacc By Deb Nicklay Globe Gazette July 22, 2010 http://www.globegazette.com/news/local/article_4ada6f04-95af-11df-9bc5-001cc4c002e0.html MASON CITY — A victim rights groups is asking the Iowa Choral Directors Association to cancel an appearance by a conductor who is accused of sexually molesting a former student. Bradley T. Barrett, conductor of Midwest Chorale, an adult choral group from Cedar Rapids, is scheduled to appear as part of the annual directors' annual convention at North Iowa Area Community College, which begins on Monday. Barrett has denied all accusations. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests sent a letter to association president Roger Henderson of Grinnell and president-elect Norm Grimm of Newton, asking that Barrett be banned from the performance. " ... letting Barrett perform at your meeting sends a hurtful message to all abuse victims – no matter who their perpetrator may have been. It shows a lack of sensitivity and compassion toward victims by those who honor and trust and invite predators into their institutions." Grimm said Thursday morning "we have someone looking into the matter," but declined to comment at length. He believed a decision on the request would be made by the end of the day. Thirty-one-year-old Adam Walker of Springfield, Mo., claimed last year Barrett repeatedly abused him from 1992 through 1995, when he was a student and Barrett his teacher in the Logan-Rogersville (Mo.) School District. Criminal charges were never filed, but Walker filed a civil lawsuit, naming Barrett, the school district and then-principal John Hetherington as defendants. All but one count was dismissed by the court. A motion is pending on the remaining count, according to Missouri court records. Barrett was an assistant music professor at the University of Northern Iowa before being placed on paid leave and released from the position in December. He has since filed a suit against the college. David Dutton, a Waterloo lawyer representing Barrett, called the victims rights group's actions "scary and disgusting." For more on this story, check back at this website and read Friday's Globe Gazette. — The Associated Press contributed to this article. Contact: deb.nicklay@globegazette.com
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