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Universal Music employee Michael Lopez said they were fired after emailing colleagues about the Roe v. Wade decision.
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The email states that Universal donated to “anti-abortion, anti-queer and anti-trans politicians,” Lopez said.
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Universal said Lopez’s version of events was “inaccurate” and “has a long track record on women’s issues”.
A Universal Music Group employee said they were fired after emailing colleagues that day Roe v. Wade was destroyed to criticize the company’s donations to anti-abortion lawmakers.
In a LinkedIn messageMichael Lopez said they emailed colleagues on June 24 to say they were “in mourning” over the ruling, adding that Universal should “stop donating to anti-abortion, anti-queer and anti-trans politicians.”
Universal did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment. In a statement to the New York Postthe company described Lopez’ version of events as “inaccurate”.
Lopez, who is listed on LinkedIn as a production coordinator at Universal Music Enterprises, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, said in their post that one of their duties every Friday was to email reports about upcoming releases to an email list of about 275. people.
Lopez said they wrote to the group in an email on Friday of the Supreme Court decision: “I didn’t do them today. I am in mourning for the attack on people with wombs in the US. Federally guaranteed access to abortion is gone.”
Lopez also said they wrote that Universal could expect “more unproductive days” if it didn’t stop donating to companies like Marsha Blackburn† Kenneth Buckand Victoria Spartaall of whom are against abortion.
Open Secrets records show that Universal donated $1,000 to Colorado Representative Buck in 2018 for his federal candidacy for Congress; $3,500 to Indiana Representative Spartan in 2022 for her federal congressional candidacy; and $6,000 to Tennessee Senator Blackburn in 2017-2018 for her candidacy in the Senate.
Lopez said in their LinkedIn message that they “received several supportive emails from other colleagues and a manager who called me to take the rest of the day off.”
They said they later got “a surprise Zoom video chat with HR” to say they were “released”. Lopez added: “I was told to log out and a courier would be there within an hour to pick up my laptop from my apartment.”
Lopez said they then followed up to the same email list, writing, “A brown gay stopped by during Pride month to speak in support of abortion rights. Seems like that’s exactly where it is in America right now.” revolves around.”
Lopez declined to comment on Insider.
A spokesperson for Universal Music Group told the New York Post: “Due to policy, we are not allowed to discuss a person’s personnel file. We can say that what has been posted on social media is incorrect.”
They continued, “UMG has a long track record of supporting women’s issues. As we wrote to our US employees, UMG considers reproductive health care essential.”
The spokesperson added: “In the wake of the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, the company has expanded its efforts to ensure that these important health services remain accessible to employees. We also support financial non-profits. profit groups operating in this area and also provide a match for employee contributions to those groups.”
Lopez spent a year and a half in the production coordinator role at Universal in June, according to their… LinkedIn profile.
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