Belmont have announced that they have parted ways with their guitarist Sam Patt following allegations of sexual assault that have been made against him on social media in recent months. The incidents in question appear to have allegedly transpired several years back. The band issued the below statement overnight of Patt‘s firing:
“Today we were made aware of accusations against Sam that we were not formerly aware of and because of this we have agreed to part ways with Sam. Following a previous allegation from a few months ago, we came to an agreement with Sam that he would address this and improve his behavior, and we wanted to give him a chance to make amends with his accuser privately.
We apologize for not making a public statement while this work was being done. We take these accusations very seriously. It is important to us to foster a safe and supportive scene for everyone involved, and we’ll be taking some time to consider how we can be better at actively supporting this.
We hope that this is a step in the right direction towards earning back your support.”
According to this Twitter user, Patt had previously been seeking clear his name in 2017 of at least one allegation, denying its validity.
This isn’t for “cancel culture” this is for change. pic.twitter.com/83d4lWrCEu
— ashley (@aggresutko) August 16, 2020
It breaks my heart that to know that I'm not the only person who had this experience with Sam Patt.
I'm done being quiet about it. Sam Patt assaulted me and I'll tell the story to anyone who wants to message me.
Listen to victims. Believe victims. Expect change. https://t.co/nrNgxTiUUE
— purple haired bitch (@CupK8y) August 16, 2020
A statement moving forward. pic.twitter.com/2XnwLBCWbK
— Belmont (@BelmontChicago) August 17, 2020
