Disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein, who is facing possible expulsion from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Saturday, could also find his membership in the Producers Guild of America revoked before that day is over.
PGA national executive director Vance Van Petten has sent out an email on behalf of PGA presidents Gary Lucchesi and Lori McCreary calling for a special meeting of the PGA’s national board of directors on Saturday to address the Weinstein situation and “to discuss urgent Guild business and VOTE on appropriate course of action.”
Earlier that same day, the Academy, which has already called Weinstein’s behavior “repugnant,” is holding an emergency meeting of its board of governors “to discuss the allegations against Weinstein and any actions warranted by the Academy.”
In the case of the PGA, the guild’s constitution contains a section on discipline that states “the guild shall, at all times, have the right to discipline its members” and goes on to say, “any member of the guild who shall, in the opinion of the national board of directors, be guilty of any act, omission, or conduct which is prejudicial to the welfare of the guild … may at the discretion of the national board of directors, be censured, fined, suspended, expelled from membership or his membership otherwise terminated.”
Should the board vote to expel Weinstein, which appears to be the direction in which it is headed, his termination may not be immediately effective. The constitution also sets up a mechanism that says any member facing expulsion must be given a copy of the charges fifteen days before the termination and has the right to appear before the board in person at least five days before the termination takes place. It was not immediately clear if those rules would apply in this case, or, if charged, Weinstein would avail himself of the opportunity for a hearing.
Just four years ago, Weinstein and his brother Bob Weinstein were feted by the PGA, which presented them at its 2013 awards ceremony with its Milestone Award, its highest honor, “recognizing an individual or team who has made historic contributions to the entertainment industry.”
This article originally appeared in THR.com.
