Students accuse Mesa theatre director of inappropriate nudity exercise

Mesa professor accused of encouraging students to strip on stage

The director of Mesa Community College's drama department is accused of encouraging students to undress on stage in front of their classmates as part of a required midterm assignment. FOX 10's Kenzie Beach has this story.

MESA, Ariz. - The director of Mesa Community College's drama department is accused of encouraging students to undress on stage in front of their classmates as part of a required midterm assignment.

Past and present theater students are speaking out against the director, leading to a college investigation into alleged sexual misconduct.

What they're saying:

Mace Archer, Mesa Community College’s theater director, is currently on administrative leave while the college investigates a vulnerability exercise in which three female students reportedly stripped in front of their peers.

Students told FOX 10 that this was not an isolated incident.

One student was completely naked, while the other two stripped to their bra and underwear.

Multiple students reported concerns to administrators both before and after the incident. Many students expressed fear of retaliation and negative impacts on their futures within the theater department.

"Everyone was really scared of repercussions," said Suzanne Olson, a former Mesa Community College theater student. "His power and his superiority – he used it to get close with students that he wanted to, or he would use it to touch students in ways that he wouldn't be able to."

"Mace controls who got cast. He overall had a say in who got to work on certain projects, who got to go to festivals to compete and be seen by higher education judges and everything," said Theodore Felix Grant McEntire, a current Mesa Community College theater student.

'He started to make comments about my clothing’

"I was in the class when multiple students undressed," McEntire said.

"I was completely floored because that's just not appropriate in any sense of the matter, in any kind of schooling, especially in an undergrad program at a community college," said Olson, who graduated from MCC in spring 2024.

Olson recalled moments she says things escalated beyond uncomfortable remarks from Archer.

"He started to make comments about my clothing, about my body," Olson said. "He did to me what he didn't want us to do to each other."

In an April 2024 rehearsal, Olson says Archer put his hands up her neck and through her hair before pulling it.

"Why are you demonstrating with students? That doesn't make any sense to me," Olson said.

Olson says she wasn't alone in her concerns, starting and sharing a Google Doc with other students. The page quickly filled with accusations against Archer.

"In 24 hours, it became like eight pages long with dozens of accounts," Olson said.

Dig deeper:

Mesa Community College issued a statement calling it an active personnel matter.

"We cannot provide specific details to protect the privacy of those involved," the statement read. "However, we can confirm that the matter is being addressed and appropriate action will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation."

To be clear, Archer is not being investigated by the Mesa Police Department and is not facing any criminal charges.

Mesa Community College has an open internal investigation. With less than a month until the fall semester begins, Archer is still listed as a staff member on the school's website.

FOX 10 reached out to Archer multiple days before this report but did not receive a response.