Dave Matthews Band Violinist Sued for Sexual Harassment

Dave Matthews Band Violinist Sued for Sexual Harassment

When we were younger, I had a friend who used to run a play with women that How I Met Your Mother would go on to call “The Cheap Trick.” Basically, you just pretend to be in a band that people have heard of. When I asked him if it worked, he said “Do you know who the bass player for Creed is?”

If you’re planning on running this play at a bar this weekend, you’d be well-served to go with something other than “I’m Dave Matthews’ violinist.” As reported by People, that dude, Boyd Tinsley, is being sued by a former bandmate for sexual harassment.

Former Crystal Garden trumpet player James Frost-Winn filed a lawsuit in Washington on Thursday, claiming Tinsley, now 54, was “sexually flirting with verbal sexual comments, physically touching [and] sexting” as well as alleged “creepy, sex-based behavior” and “sexually predatory harassment” from April 2015 through August 2016.

To me, the most surprising part about this story is that the Dave Matthews Band is still a thing. Tinsley is taking a leave of absence from the band, which I thought broke up in like, 2003, the last time anyone heard of them. But they’re still going, they even have a new album coming out next month, and Tinsley announced his departure on Twitter in February.

I need to take a break from the band & touring 2 focus on my family & my health 4 a while. I will miss you guys & my brothers in the band but I’m somewhat worn out & need 2 spend more time with my family & 2 bring more balance to my life. Thanks 4 ur Love. #peaceandLoVE

— Boyd Tinsley (@bt_dmb) February 3, 2018

That is apparently the same day that Frost-Winn sent him a demand for an out-of-court settlement. It would seem he didn’t get it because he’s suing for “loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, mental anguish, emotional distress, and humiliation,” which mostly sounds like gibberish.

Frost-Winn recalled one specific incident during a recording session when he fell asleep on the couch in the studio.

“I don’t know how long I was asleep, but when I came to, he was masturbating next to me while I was sleeping, and he had his hand on my ass,” he said. “He was climaxing. I felt assaulted. It was something I didn’t expect from him. I was contemplating how to stay in the project — it’s such a big opportunity, but my trust had been affected.”

Actually, that sounds pretty emotionally distressing and humiliating. I can see suing someone for that, but I feel like I’d call it something different. Tinsley was basically his boss, right?

If your first thought when seeing a super-intense violin player with sunglasses and huge muscles is “something feels weird here,” then you’re on to something, apparently.

But I suppose this does give guys out there this weekend a pretty big opportunity; do you know who the new Dave Matthews Band violinist is? It’s pretty weird, the guys said they had no idea what he was doing, but I’m just really glad for the opportunity. I feel like all the lessons my parents made me go to as a kid are finally paying off.

ShareOriginal Article