James Levine, the former conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is being investigated for allegations of sexual abuse.
The conductor is accused of an inappropriate relationship with a boy beginning when the boy was 15 years old and lasting for years, pushing the alleged victim to the brink of suicide, the Boston Globe reports.
"We are deeply disturbed by the news articles that are being published online today about James Levine," said the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where Levine holds the role Music Director Emeritus. "We are working on an investigation with outside resources to determine whether charges of sexual misconduct in the 1980s are true, so that we can take appropriate action."
The allegations against Levine originally appeared in The New York Post Saturday night. Shortly after the article appeared online, The New York Times reported that Met officials had been aware of the allegations since last year, but that Levine had denied them.
The abuse by Levine allegedly began in 1985 while Levine was guest conductor at the Ravinia Festival near Chicago, the Post reports.
The Post alleges that there were 'hundreds of incidents' by Levine against the teenage victim.
The statute of limitations for a potential sex crime in Illinois expired nine years before the alleged victim came forward against Levine in 2016, reports the Post.
