What Happened at Spindrift School of Performing Arts?

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

Something serious and genuinely upsetting is happening at the Spindrift School of Performing Arts in Pacifica, CA. If you’ve ever been involved in youth theatre or arts education, this story hits close to home.

Four prominent staff members were abruptly fired last week. No public warning. No clear explanation. Just gone. Artistic Director Gary Ferguson, Director of Dance Liliana Davidovich, Director of Music Adam Green, and Operations Manager Keira Robalino were all let go in what the school says is a response to a violation of California’s mandated reporting laws.

Let’s get this part out of the way. If a student was in danger or there was even a suspicion of misconduct involving a minor, and those in charge didn’t report it, then yes, they absolutely should have been fired. Mandated reporting is not optional. It exists for a reason, and it protects kids. You don’t wait for more information. You don’t hold meetings about it. You pick up the phone and you report. That’s the law, and it’s the bare minimum when you’re trusted with children.

The school’s board released a statement reiterating that exact point. “There is no gray area… You do not delay. You do not investigate. You report.” And again, they’re right.

But here’s where things start to get murky. Because while the board says they “took immediate action,” what followed wasn’t just one staff member being let go. Within days, four staff bios vanished from the school’s website. And we’re talking longtime leaders with deep ties to the community and students.

Gary Ferguson, a former Broadway performer and staple of the Bay Area theatre scene, took to Instagram Live to defend himself. He said he’d heard rumors about an inappropriate relationship and that someone may have been taken advantage of, but that after discussing it with his team, they didn’t feel they had enough to report. He claims he was then placed on administrative leave, and less than a day later, discovered that other adults were also aware of the same situation and also hadn’t reported it.

Ferguson says he was fired with little explanation and no opportunity to participate in the investigation. That’s concerning, especially when due process is supposed to matter. And it gets even more complicated.

Keira Robalino, the school’s former Operations Manager, posted that she was let go for standing up for her team and especially for Gary. She says the board had ongoing issues with Ferguson’s leadership style and implies the firings may have had more to do with politics and casting than safety and protocol. She even suggests the board took issue with who Ferguson is, saying, “I’m very aware that there are many that don’t appreciate the way I look, the way I speak, and who I love.”

Is that a smoking gun? No. But it’s worth raising an eyebrow over. Because even if the original issue was about mandated reporting, and again, if that was ignored, action had to be taken, the way the school handled the aftermath has sparked serious concern.

Alumni are speaking out. Current students are confused and upset. And a form letter demanding a public meeting is circulating on social media. One former student said that with these firings, “Spindrift will no longer be a safe space for people to be who they are.”

The Spindrift board gave a standard, vague response to media inquiries: “We do not comment on personnel matters or on situations involving minor students.” But when your community is this shaken, silence just isn’t good enough.

Here’s the bottom line. Protecting students must always come first. If someone broke that trust by not reporting potential harm, then they had no business staying in their role. But transparency also matters. Accountability works both ways. Right now, it feels like a lot of people are being left in the dark, and for a school that’s supposed to be a home for young artists, that darkness feels especially cold.