Dear friends: We are writing to update you on the issue you may have been hearing about regarding some claims against John from people who are part of the anime community. Some blogs, emails and other statements that have appeared in the past week making mention of some emails John sent and conversations John had that have made some women feel uncomfortable. We are extremely sorry that his attempts at humor have caused offense. He was at first was surprised and disappointed that people he considered friends held these beliefs. Given a couple of days to reflect, he realized that his sense of humor mayRead More →
Dear friends:
We are writing to update you on the issue you may have been hearing about regarding some claims against John from people who are part of the anime community. Some blogs, emails and other statements that have appeared in the past week making mention of some emails John sent and conversations John had that have made some women feel uncomfortable.
We are extremely sorry that his attempts at humor have caused offense.
He was at first was surprised and disappointed that people he considered friends held these beliefs. Given a couple of days to reflect, he realized that his sense of humor may not be well received and had to take that to heart.
John subsequently completed an online sexual harassment course that he believes will make him more aware and sensitive to how his actions are perceived by others and will continue working on this. Additionally, he voluntarily submitted his resignation from the post as Kawaii Ambassador on Wednesday, June 24 after there was a call by some for him to do so.
This has been an eye-opening experience for our family. We feel terrible about this, and sincerely apologize to those John offended. I nonetheless stand by my husband and know he meant no harm when he made these inappropriate jokes. He knows better now.
But this is a broader issue beyond just us. There are concerns around the country that the cosplay, gaming and comic sectors can be unwelcoming environments for women. As a result, we will be implementing a code of conduct addressing sexual misconduct before our spring event. It will be available on our website and provided to all registrants.
I hope our actions have demonstrated our sincerity in wanting to continue to maintain our good name and that of Anime Matsuri.
Deneice Leigh