Andriy Bilous can only be suspended from work in the theater after a court ruling - KCGA
Kyiv • UNN
Andriy Bilous returned to work at the Young Theater after allegations of harassment. The KCGA explained that a decision of the investigating judge based on the request of the investigator or prosecutor is required for suspension.
Director Andriy Bilous, who was accused of harassment, has returned to work at the Young Theater after a high-profile scandal. The Department of Culture of the Kyiv City State Administration explained why he was not removed from his duties, writes UNN with reference to the city state administration.
"The Labor Code does not provide for automatic suspension in connection with the opening of criminal proceedings. At the same time, according to Article 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, suspension from office is carried out on the basis of a ruling of the investigating judge issued at the request of the investigator or prosecutor," the Kyiv City State Administration said in a statement.
Therefore, the Department, as the governing body, cannot independently remove the head from performing his duties based only on the fact of the opening of criminal proceedings. This requires a ruling from the investigating judge, which can be issued at the request of the investigator or prosecutor, the Kyiv City State Administration added.
Bilous's case
On February 5, 2025, Andriy Bilous, a lecturer at the Kyiv National University named after Karpenko-Kary and director of the "Young Theater", was accused of sexual harassment and indecent messages to students and colleagues. After appeals from students and actresses about harassment by Bilous, the university began an internal investigation. In total, the case involved appeals from 46 theater employees.
On February 14, 2025, the Department created a commission to verify the information presented in these appeals.
On March 10, 2025, the investigative department of the Shevchenkivskyi Department of the National Police of Kyiv launched a pre-trial investigation.
On March 12, 2025, the commission submitted proposals to the Department of Culture, including the termination of the contract with the teacher and director on the grounds of loss of confidence in him. However, dismissal with the wording "loss of confidence" is possible only if the employee's actions are directly related to working with material assets.
The Department of Culture has repeatedly stated its principled position on the inadmissibility of any manifestations of harassment and discrimination in cultural institutions, however, it currently has no legal grounds to suspend or dismiss Andriy Bilous. Understanding the situation, the Department of Culture stated that it is constantly monitoring the observance of the rights and freedoms of cultural workers. In particular, this concerns the unjustified removal of performances from the theater's repertoire with their participation or the reduction of showings of these performances. The Department also emphasized that it is monitoring the preservation of the level of wages.
Earlier, UNN wrote that director Bilous returned to the Young Theater after the harassment scandal.
