A change in venue was requested Thursday for the trial of a former IU ballet teacher accused of sexually assaulting multiple students.
Guoping Wang, 54, 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.
The request for change of venue was rooted in concerns about finding fair jurors, Wang’s attorney, Katharine Liell, said.
Liell told Judge Marc Kellams Wang received a great deal of negative media coverage in the past few months. Some of the coverage contained questionable information, including the personal opinion of the detective investigating the case.
“The motion is essentially an effort to preserve Mr. Wang’s rights,” Liell said in an interview with the Indiana Daily Student. “That way, if necessary, we can move the trial out of the county and select jurors that aren’t predisposed both ways — to his guilt or his innocence.
Another pretrial conference has been set for 2 p.m. March 1, but after the hearing, Liell seemed skeptical the case would reach trial at all.
If the case goes to trial, it wouldn’t be until late 2017, Liell said.
The first reports of sexual assault came from a ballet student who was training with Wang for “The Nutcracker” in November 2015. Wang asked the student to stay late after a rehearsal and invited her to his office to practice stretches, according to court documents.
During one stretch, which involved the student lying on the floor, Wang tried to kiss her. She pushed him away and tried to leave, but Wang blocked her. He shut the door to his office, turned off the lights and began to kiss her again.
The student felt frozen as Wang pulled at her leotard and touched her breasts and genitals, according to court documents.
“Please, Guoping, no,” the student said. “This can’t happen.”
He told her to let him kiss her. The student struggled and tried to cover herself, but Wang pulled off her leotard and tights. He only stopped when there was a noise that sounded like someone walking down the hallway outside the office, according to court documents.
When Wang got up to look out the door, the student redressed and walked past Wang to leave. As she left Wang told her not to tell anyone what had happened.
The student told her roommate about the incident but didn’t report to the University until March after the spring ballet concluded. Wang continued to work with her and other students until then.
When the student reported what had happened to her, the University launched its own investigation into Wang. In the course of the investigation, six others came forward with allegations against Wang.
The University waited until it had concluded its investigation — six weeks after the first student made her report — to go to campus police.
It cited Title IX policies for the delay, but the policies in no way prohibit the University from immediately contacting law enforcement.
Wang was arrested in July. He’s been out of jail on bond since then.
Before he came to IU, Wang danced with the Shanghai Ballet Company and Ballet Chicago.
