New York, New York
As a man, spending the majority of your life with your hand up the underside of a doll, one who entertains children, makes it very hard to defend yourself against allegations of sexually abusing children.
But, that is exactly the position puppeteer Kevin Clash has found himself in today. Clash, the creator and voice behind children’s favorite Elmo has resigned from Sesame Workshop. This comes after two men have come forward claiming that Clash sexually molested them both when they were underage.
The first man has since recanted his allegation. However, a second potential victim has stepped forward and filed a lawsuit against Clash.
Clash, 52, who has been involved with Sesame Workshop since the 80’s, had been missing in action since the first allegations came to light.
Clash released the following statement:
“I am resigning from Sesame Workshop with a very heavy heart,” he said Tuesday in a statement.
“I have loved every day of my 28 years working for this exceptional organization,” he continued. “Personal matters have diverted attention away from the important work ‘Sesame Street’ is doing and I cannot allow it to go on any longer. I am deeply sorry to be leaving and am looking forward to resolving these personal matters privately.”
Sesame Workshop also issued a statement on Tuesday.
“None of us [at Sesame Workshop], especially Kevin, want anything to divert our attention from our focus on serving as a leading educational organization. . . . Unfortunately, the controversy surrounding Kevin’s personal life has become a distraction that none of us want, and he has concluded that he can no longer be effective in his job. . . .This is a sad day for ‘Sesame Street.’ ”
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