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Attorney Asks For Change Of Venue In Sexual Battery Case

Last updated on Tuesday, January 10, 2017

(BLOOMINGTON) - A former IU ballet teacher’s attorney has asked Monroe County Judge Marc Kellams for a change in venue, saying her client can’t get a fair trail because of negative media coverage.

Attorney Katharine Liell requested the change in venue on Thursday for her client 54-year-old Guoping Wang.

Wang has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual battery and criminal confinement. Wang had worked as a dance coach and lecturer with the Jacobs School of Music until he was fired in May.

According to court records another pretrial conference has been set for 2 p.m. on March 1.

The assault was reported on March 28, 2016. At that time IU officials immediately placed Wang on administrative leave and then fired him.

According to a probable cause affidavit, the student claims that Wang sexually assaulted her last November during rehearsals for the university's annual holiday production of Tchaikovsky's ballet "The Nutcracker" at the Musical Arts Center.

Indiana University Police became involved May 4 when Kiply Drew from IU's General Counsel Office presented them with a 13-page memorandum outlining an investigation into multiple allegations that Wang had "engaged in unwanted advances against students and staff." One of the women, a ballet student, asked that police be notified.

The affidavit says that after rehearsal for "The Nutcracker" ended on November 6, Wang asked the student performer to stay to work on her technique and do some stretches. Half an hour later, they went into his office and while stretching on the floor, she alleges Wang attempted to kiss her. When she stood up to leave, she claims Wang stood in the doorway, blocking her exit. He then closed the door, turned off the lights, pulled her leotard and sexually assaulted her with his hands while she resisted.

The woman was able to escape then they heard someone walking down the hall approaching the office.

She claims Wang opened to the door to see who it was and that is when she made her escape. As she left Wang told her not to tell anyone what happened.

She immediately called her roommate, who came and met her at the MAC. The two took a walk and the woman told her friend what happened.

Soon after the holiday break, the woman told her dance partner when he was given a birthday gift from Wang to deliver to the woman.

Her experience was one of several sexual assault complaints detailed in the memorandum from the internal investigation conducted by IU's legal staff that led to Wang being fired.

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