A well-known ballerina and her teacher husband have been accused of restraining then sexually abusing their former protégé in a gun-filled room.
Sage Humphries and one other skilled dancer, Gina Menichino, on July 28 filed a civil criticism in US District Court docket in Nevada, accusing Mitchell Taylor Button of sexually and emotionally abusing the 2 ladies years aside.
Button is the husband of Dusty Button, Boston Ballet’s former principal dancer who now has a big following on social media. She has additionally been named as an alleged predator in Humphries and Menichino’s go well with, however will not be listed as a defendant.
Former Boston Ballet star Dusty Button (left) has been implicated in a federal lawsuit accusing her husband, Mitchell Button (proper), of sexually abusing younger dancers, together with a baby
Boston Ballet dancer Sage Humphries (left) {and professional} dancer Gina Menichino (proper) collectively filed the lawsuit towards Mitchell Button
Humphries, now 23, claims Mitchell repeatedly sexually assaulted her in 2017, together with with the assistance of his prima ballerina spouse. They deny her claims
The lawsuit alleges that on a number of events, Dusty held down Humphries so she couldn’t transfer whereas her husband violently penetrated the younger girl with out her consent, together with in her sleep.
In a single occasion, as alleged within the criticism, the Buttons ordered Humphries to don a head-to-toe spandex go well with, tied her to a desk in a room crammed with weapons and sexually assaulted her as she screamed and cried.
By way of their lawyer, the Buttons denied the allegations detailed within the lawsuit, calling them ‘false and fraudulent.’
Humphries, now 23, instructed the New York Times in an interview that the Buttons had ‘full management’ over her whereas she was a younger dancer at Boston Ballet II, the corporate’s apprenticeship program.
The criticism states that Humphries, who was new to Boston on the time and had no household or associates within the metropolis, first met Dusty Button, then a world-renowned prima ballerina, and her dance teacher husband in 2016.
The Buttons befriended the younger dancer in early 2017 and shortly started inviting her over to their dwelling, the place Humphries was anticipated to drink closely, in accordance with the criticism.
The 19-page federal criticism doesn’t title Dusty as a defendant however as a ‘non-party co-conspirator’ and implicates her in a few of the alleged abuse concentrating on Humphries.
It’s alleged within the explosive criticism that ‘the Buttons abuse their positions of energy and status within the dance neighborhood to garner the loyalty and belief of younger dancers. The Buttons then exploit these relationships to coerce sexual acts by way of drive and fraud.’
Dusty, pictured furthest left, departed from the Boston Ballet in 2017. She allegedly held down Humphries whereas her husband sexually penetrated her with out the lady’s consent
Humphries claims within the lawsuit the Buttons had full management over her and remoted her from household and associates. She was compelled to stay with the couple, who collectively would sexually abuse her, in accordance with the criticism
‘The Buttons additionally started to insist that Sage sleep at their residence regularly,’ the lawsuit alleges. ‘The Buttons instructed Sage to put on their garments and elegance her hair to match Dusty’s hair.’
Mitchell allegedly instructed Humphries that if she agreed at hand over management of her social media accounts to him, together with her passwords and entry to her textual content messages and e mail, he would make her as well-known as his spouse.
‘If Sage ever tried to distance herself or disobey the Buttons, they might threaten to revoke their monetary assist and sabotage her profession,’ the criticism alleges.
One night, the Buttons and Humphries have been mendacity on a mattress collectively watching a film when Mitchell sexually assaulted his younger protégé after his spouse dozed off, in accordance with the criticism.
‘Any time Sage tried to develop different friendships and spend time aside from the Buttons, the Buttons would change into enraged,’ the lawsuit alleges.
On one event, Mitchell allegedly compelled Humphries to preform oral intercourse on him as punishment for having lunch with a bunch of ladies.
The lawsuit alleges that the Buttons insisted that Humphries ‘prioritize them over her household,’ and even joined her on a visit to California to go to her dad and mom ‘she she couldn’t be alone along with her household.’
Humphries was finally rescued by her dad and mom, who flew her dwelling to California
After returning to Boston, the sexual abuse intensified, in accordance with the lawsuit.
‘One night, Sage went to the Buttons’ residence after rehearsal, and the residence was fully darkish,’ reads the criticism. ‘Dusty and [Mitchell] demanded that Sage placed on a spandex go well with that lined her complete physique, together with her mouth and eyes, and left solely her nostril and ears uncovered.
‘Dusty led Sage right into a room of the Buttons’ residence that had an arsenal of weapons hanging on the wall. Sage instructed the Buttons she was scared. They instructed her to lie down on a desk, they usually tied up her legs and arms so she was unable to maneuver. The Buttons then sexually assaulted Sage.
‘Sage started sobbing and screaming, begging the Buttons to untie her. The Buttons instructed her she was being weak and silly.’
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After that incident, Mitchell allegedly started having intercourse along with his protégé ‘at any time when he happy,’ together with typically whereas she was sleeping.
‘[Mitchell] often shoved Sage to the bottom or on the mattress and violently penetrated her with out her consent,’ claims the criticism. ‘On a number of events, Dusty held Sage down whereas [Mitchell] penetrated her in order that Sage couldn’t transfer.’
Throughout intercourse, the dance teacher allegedly would ‘choke, slap and pull’ Humphries’ hair, leaving her lined in bruises.
‘The Buttons additionally often used painful intercourse toys on Sage and would tie Sage up with a purpose to have intercourse along with her,’ the lawsuit contends. ‘Sage by no means consented to those violent intercourse acts.’
By Could 2017, the Buttons allegedly compelled Humphries to stay with them full time. They didn’t cost her hire and paid for her meals and private bills, rendering her financially depending on the couple.
‘If Sage ever tried to distance herself or disobey the Buttons, they might threaten to revoke their monetary assist and sabotage her profession,’ in accordance with the lawsuit.
Ultimately, Humphries’ dad and mom turned involved along with her dwelling state of affairs and compelled her to return dwelling.
Mitchell continued speaking with Humphries on Snapchat. At one level, he allegedly instructed her he needed to rape the lady and depart her to die in a warehouse, and likewise threatened to journey to California and slit her father’s throat.
In August 2017, Humphries sought and obtained abuse safety orders towards the Buttons.
The Boston Ballet has issued a press release expressing assist for Humphries, who continues to be a part of the corporate.
‘Boston Ballet helps Sage Humphries who’s bravely coming ahead, sharing her expertise to guard others, and searching for accountability and justice,’ the assertion learn.
In response to the dance firm, Dusty Button’s employment with the Boston Ballet was terminated in Could 2017.
The federal lawsuit additionally particulars allegations of sexual abuse from a decade in the past concentrating on Mitchell Button’s former dance scholar Gina Menichino.
In response to the criticism, Button, who on the time glided by the title Taylor Moore and labored as a dance teacher at a studio in Tampa, Florida, started grooming Menichino for abuse when she was 13 years previous and he was 25.
‘Taylor took a particular curiosity in Gina and would single her out for particular consideration and alternatives in dance class, comparable to permitting her to assistant educate his dance lessons,’ alleges the criticism.
Menichino, a dancer from New Jersey, claims that when she was 13 years previous and attending a dance studio in Florida in 2010, Mitchell Button sexually assaulted her
On two separate events in 2010, Button allegedly sexually assaulted Menichino whereas the 2 have been sharing a blanket whereas watching a film with different dance college students.
Button then started often ‘sexting’ the younger lady, together with sending her shirtless pictures of himself and movies displaying him pleasuring himself, the go well with claims. He additionally solicited related content material from Menichino.
‘Taylor used his place of energy and authority over Gina to drive her to conform along with his sexual calls for,’ in accordance with the lawsuit.
If the 13-year-old resisted her instructor’s sexual advances, Button allegedly threatened to harm her dance profession.
‘The entire recreation was to maintain him comfortable,’ Menichino, now 25, instructed the Instances. ‘Don’t get him indignant, or I used to be unworthy and I’d lose my dance profession.’
Ken Swartz, the lawyer representing the Buttons, mentioned in a press release to the paper that his purchasers ‘categorically deny these baseless claims they usually sit up for the chance by court docket proceedings to disprove the entire plaintiffs’ false and fraudulent allegations.’
