Lavakunstikooli head defends decision to keep student enrolled

Estonian Public Broadcasting ERR reported that Mart Koldits, head of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre’s School of Drama, said he acted according to his conscience when handling allegations that student Oliver Reimann had twice put banned substances in fellow students’ drinks.

Reimann acknowledged the two incidents in a social media statement published on Tuesday. Koldits said the first case, involving Robi Varul, reached him, the school and teaching staff two weeks after it occurred.

After speaking with Varul, Reimann and the entire course, the school decided to give Reimann another opportunity and allow him to remain enrolled. Koldits said the situation was ultimately resolved peacefully, the students felt safe and they continued making productions together.

Last summer, however, it emerged that Reimann had not disclosed everything. A similar incident had taken place several days earlier that same summer. Koldits said Varul and Richard Ester then approached him because they no longer wanted to tolerate the speculation and rumours that had spread through the theatre community and the city.

They decided to speak to the media so the matter could be addressed, Koldits said. Their account later led to an article in Eesti Ekspress.

Koldits recalled that Varul and Reimann came to the teaching staff’s room three summers ago, shortly before the start of the academic year. Reimann began explaining what had happened, and Koldits questioned both students to establish the clearest possible account. Reimann also admitted everything at a large meeting with his course mates, Koldits said.

Asked whether students at the School of Drama use narcotic substances to expand their consciousness, Koldits said he hoped not. He said this was the first such case to have reached him at the school, but added that he had the impression younger people may use such substances more than previous generations, when alcohol was the main source of problems.

Koldits said the school should address the issue of intoxicating substances more systematically. He warned that narcotics were dangerous regardless of how mildly they were described, and said changing one’s state of consciousness required sustained work and changes in one’s attitudes and thought patterns rather than chemical substances.

Koldits said the possibility of contacting the police had also been discussed with Varul. Considering all the circumstances, he said, doing so did not seem like the right choice at the time.