Consequence of Sound reports that Houston’s Day for Night Festival has removed one of its founders, Omar Afra, following accusations of sexual assault from two women. The festival, which was founded in 2015 by Afra and Kiffer Keegan, quickly has risen to become a prestige event in a quickly dwindling and watered-down festival market. It’s typically held in December and has had artists like Kendrick Lamar, Nine Inch Nails, New Order, Aphex Twin, Thom Yorke and more grace its stages.
Afra was accused of sexual assault by two separate women. The first was Phoenix Hamilton, a woman who shared her story interacting with Afra on Facebook. According to her post, the incident occurred 10 months prior, when he indicated he could offer her a job. After talking about it at the bar, she says that they went back to his apartment to continue the discussion – she indicates a move that was his suggestion. “It was there that he came onto me, suddenly and forcefully,” Hamilton wrote. “He didn’t ask for my consent before he touched me. He kept kissing me even though I kept saying NO. He held onto me after I asked him multiple times to let me go. I got away before it could go any further.” She also posted several screen-grabs of conversations she had with Afra before and after their meeting.
The second women, who it turns out is friends with Hamilton, is Veronica Ramos. Ramos confided in Hamilton that she too had been abused by Afra, and shared her own post on Facebook. While she doesn’t detail the alleged assault in her post, she writes that “I was afraid, in shock and felt unsafe in my own city and creative community. I gave up on my passion for photography. My career and personal life completely changed. I moved across the world to Africa to get as far away as possible.”
Day for Night responded with its own Facebook post, indicating that Afra had been removed from his position. The festival’s creditors foreclosed on their agreement, which effectively forced the founder of the festival out. Much like a similar case of festival founder being accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct, the future of the festival may be in jeopardy. The statement explains that out of respect for the two women, any announcement about its future will be put on hold.
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