Should Public Arts Organizations Give $ to Convicted Sex Offenders? - See More At: Http://theworthyadversary.com/2401-Should-Public-Arts-Organizations-Give-To-Convicted-Sex-Offenders#sthash.ewiogzub.dpuf

By Joelle Casteix
The Worthy Adversary
November 09, 2013

http://theworthyadversary.com/2401-should-public-arts-organizations-give-to-convicted-sex-offenders

I don’t know the answer to this myself, but it has been bothering me since learning about Tucson conductor/convicted child sex offender Eric Holtan.

Holtan was convicted in 2000 of first- and third-degree sexual assault against two of his former students while he was a teacher in Duluth, MN.

According to the Duluth News Tribune:

    Holtan, who was convicted of first-degree and third-degree criminal sexual conduct, was ordered at his 2000 sentencing to serve two years at the Northeast Regional Corrections Center, register as a sex offender and meet the conditions of his probation for 15 years. Any violation of that probation could result in him being sent back to prison for more than 16 years.

He is currently the music minister at a Lutheran Church, an obvious problem. But there is another issue:

Holtan is the conductor and the executive director of the Tucson Chamber Artists, a classical music group that performs throughout the area. The TCA is comprised of all adults, although they do perform in churches and their audiences do not know that he is a sex offender.

TCA receives grant money from the Tucson Pima Arts Council and the Arizona Commission of the Arts, among others.

Hence my question: Should public grant organizations give money to groups led by convicted sex offenders (who, according to news reports, may be in violation of their parole)? Should grant organizations have an “ethics clause” for leaders of organizations that receive money?

I am interested in hearing from anyone from grant organizations on the subject.