The crisis center believes Boston should have not a landmarked named for a man with multiple serious charges against his name.
The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) has called for the $2.4 billion Wynn Boston Harbor to be renamed. The nonprofit organization, which helps victims of abuse in the Boston area, believes a prominent Boston-area landmark should not bear the name of Steve Wynn.
BARCC was founded in 1973 as the only comprehensive rape crisis center in the Greater Boston area. It is the largest such nonprofit in New England, serving 22 different communities in the area — including Everett, where the Wynn Boston Harbor is located.
The center either wants Wynn Resorts to rename the Everett casino, or it wants Massachusetts gaming officials and political leaders to require a name change.
A spokesman for the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center said the people of the city should not be “stuck with a monument to a man forced out of his job due to multiple allegations of sexual assault.”
Boston Wynn Harbor’s Developer
The 76-year old founder and former CEO of Wynn Resorts resigned this week after numerous sexual misconduct allegations by salon workers in Wynn’s casinos. The workers claimed in an explosive Wall Street Journal interview Wynn harassed employees for various favors. The salon workers claimed they eventually used various methods to avoid being alone with Steve Wynn.
That was but the beginning of the charges. Eventually, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that its then-editors had buried a 1998 story alleging misconduct by managers at a Wynn Resorts casino in Las Vegas. Waitresses were pressured to have relations with VIP customers, according to the allegations. At least one claimed Steve Wynn himself pressured her to have sexual relations with him.
New Charges Against Steve Wynn
The writer of that original 1998 article was ordered by Review-Journal editors to delete her records of the story, but she instead hid the story away, waiting for a time to release it. That writer, now an editor with the Review-Journal, published the 1998 allegations this week.
Eventually, the Massachusetts, Nevada, and Macau gaming regulators each announced they would open investigations into Steve Wynn’s conduct. Wynn Resorts’ board of directors announced it would launch a probe, as well.
Steve Wynn Resigned from RNC Position
Steve Wynn originally resigned as Finance Chairman of the Republican National Committee, while categorically denying the charges. Even after resigning as CEO and Chairman of Wynn Resorts, Steve Wynn claimed in a press release that the charges were tied to court documents from a bitter divorce battle with his ex-wife, Elaine Wynn.
Name Change for Wynn Boston Harbor?
The name change request poses a dilemma for Wynn Resorts. The Las Vegas casino company has branded every casino in the portfolio with Steve Wynn’s name. Even the company itself bears the founder’s name, which means any decision to rename a single casino could lead to a wholesale need for a rebranding effort for the entire global casino network. Accede to one demand and you’re likely to face new demands.
The three other Las Vegas casino giants — Las Vegas Sands, Caesars Entertainment, and MGM Resorts — do not bear the name of its founder (no one name Caesar founded Caesars Entertainment). A scandal hitting those casino companies would not have the same issues.
It leaves one to wonder if Wynn Resorts might not one day rename itself, the way Harrah’s Entertainment once began Caesars Entertainment. That being said, Steve Wynn remains the majority shareholder and likely will influence the casino group behind the scenes — much like James Packer still continued to control Crown Resorts, even after he resigned as CEO and even left the board of directors. (Packer eventually returned to the board, two years later.)
Gina Scaramella Clarifies BARCC’s Position
In additional words posted on the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center website, BARCC Executive Director Gina Scaramella wrote, “We don’t always weigh in on issues like this, but we see this as an important opportunity for our state to show leadership by demanding that the companies who do business here are held accountable when they look the other way in response to reports of workplace sexual harassment and abuse.”
“As we explained in our statement, this isn’t about shielding survivors from the name of a reported long-time offender. And this isn’t about the casino itself. It’s about insisting on a symbolic piece of community accountability. We don’t need Steve Wynn’s name across the skyline in any of our communities. And the Gaming Commission and state leaders have the power to make that be so.”
About the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center
The BARCC provides free, confidential services and support to abuse survivors and their families. The center has 40 staff members, 200 volunteers, and nearly 6,000 donors each year.
