Resignations Hit Hollywood Critics Association After Member Who Voiced Financial Concerns Gets Booted

thewrap.com:

traditional critics’ circles.In a statement Wednesday, the HCA said that now-former member Shannon McGrew, founder of horror fanzine Nightmarish Conjurings, had “expressed resentment towards the association and its leadership” and demanded answers to a series of questions the member posted on the HCA’s private Facebook page.

McGrew raised concerns about fundraising and dues appropriations, the group’s nonprofit status and its practice of charging for participation in certain awards shows (common in Hollywood awards circles).The statement says McGrew was not satisfied with the responses, and immediately began complaining stridently on social media.

The HCA sent a cease-and-desist letter on August 19 before ultimately expelling her. “The HCA leadership worked diligently to diffuse the tension and appease the individual,” the HCA wrote. “We provided more information and evidence to disprove insinuations of financial and awards-related improprieties, while also creating a publicly accessible FAQ page with input from all members.”At one point, another member began arguing with McGrew in the Facebook group, escalating tensions both there and online.“We also offered different avenues for direct communication, but every good faith attempt was met with insults, mockery and increasingly more derogatory, defamatory, and disturbingly threatening posts,” the HCA continued in its statement. “Shielding these baseless actions under the premise of ‘just asking questions in the name of transparency,’ the now former member imposed an aggressive smear campaign seemingly aimed at destroying the organization.”The HCA’s statement did not name McGrew, who posted online that the statement sent out by the HCA was initially an internal letter..