Why is everyone talking about the Escuela Grind feud? There’s been a lot of discussion online about them the last few days, so we’re going to try and break down what’s going on with them.
Escuela Grind are a hardcore band that formed in Massachusetts in 2016, though they were formally just known as Escuela until 2019. Until recently, the group consisted of vocalist Katerina Economou, drummer Jesse Fuentes, bassist Krissy Morash and guitarist Tom Sifuentes. However, Sifuentes announced his departure from the group last week.
Now, there are other claims surfacing online about the band, some of which they have addressed. There’s some explosive back and forth between members and their driver as well.
Needless to say, there’s a lot being said about Escuela Grind right now, so we’re going to do our best to explain what’s happening.
Why Did Tom Sifuentes Leave Escuela Grind?
Sifuentes shared a statement on his Instagram on Feb. 16 announcing the band’s next two performances as his last with them.
“I was informed I’m being replaced after bringing up some safety concerns,” he wrote. “It was a fucking honor exerting every ounce of energy I had for you, all those shows. I was gettin busy [not gonna lie]! The greatest times though, above all else, was meeting all of you! My new friends. You all pulled me in and sold me on this life again after many years away from heavy music. Until next time you murfuggers! [sic]”
The comments on the post have since been disabled, but someone posted a screenshot of some comments before they were turned off on Reddit. One individual wrote on Sifuentes’ post that it’s “kind of lame” that he was let go after voicing safety concerns, and he replied that there isn’t any drama between him and the band.
“I brought it up, and tried to address how the other members didn’t care my safety/hearing was jeopardized carelessly, and instead they wanted to make excuses for the other member. I was battled at every step for literally trying to not have it happen again,” he elaborated.
“And in response, it was told I was whining and ‘killing the vibe.’ Then was told, ‘We’re looking for a replacement anyways.’ But that’s it.”
What Did Escuela Grind’s Tour Driver Say About the Band?
Several days after Sifuentes shared the news of his departure from the band, their former tour bus driver wrote a post on Instagram describing her experience working with the band, stating that there was a lot of “mistreatment throughout the entire tour.”
“I kept my mouth shut where I could, and just hung in there until I saw an exit. I looked crazy on the internet for a second pushing people until I got some form of apology. But, the apologies never came, I never got paid in full, you kicked my best homie out of the band, and you clowns are on your way home. So let’s fucking get it,” she wrote.
The driver called out members of the band individually, including Fuentes, whom she said is “trash,” and further accused him of sexually harassing her every day. She also alleged that the band’s tour manager, Chris Kotter, flirted with her “nonstop” and called him a “predator.”
“Katerina, it’s disgusting to me that you would stand up there on stage every night and pretend to be a voice for the girls, gays, and theys but you didn’t advocate for a single one that I saw. Weird. You allow Jesse to ruin your band’s reputation and honestly everyone’s mental health that I saw. But, I’m just a fucking driver, what do I know,” she continued, a remark that was directed at Economou.
“Tom, Ryan, and Krissy. I wish you all the best. I mean that. Love and respect y’all,” she concluded in a comment on the post.
What Did Escuela Grind Say in Response to the Claims?
Morash responded to the tour driver’s claims in a comment on her post, essentially accusing her of failing to do her job correctly.
“We were happy to let you go because not only did you lie about being able to park trailers, you let your emotions effect your driving capabilities, aggressively driving behind/yelling at other cars (we have had friends get their vans SHOT at for this) you were not getting rest for long drives and chose to party with other bands and drink before we left venues,” Morash said.
The bassist added that the band was extremely accommodating for the driver, noting the Airbnbs that they rented while on tour so that everyone would be comfortable.
“Day 3 in D.C. after damaging our van, we still showed you love and compassion. Jesse sat and talked to you for hours in the cold because we believed in you. To turn around and not consider any of this shows your true behavior and it is disheartening,” Morash went on.
“I am not feeling the love and respect you are portraying to a small group of this band on social media. I bit my lip and waited to even say anything about this because it wasn’t anyones business and I considered you were maybe going through something in your personal life. While I’m still grateful for taking time out of your life to help us I hope you find other ways to deal with your incompetence in the future.”
What Are People Saying About Escuela Grind?
A lot of people are discussing the drama surrounding Escuela Grind on social media, with some commenting on the band’s Instagram posts and others taking to Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) to share their sentiments.
“The Escuela Grind discourse is another example of a buncha people pretending to like a painfully sub-mid band that was never good because they had ‘the right politics,’ only to now say they were never good because of some controversy. This is my most undefeated take,” one person wrote on X.
Others have apparently discovered that Fuentes is a freemason, with one person sharing a photo of his induction into the society back in 2016.
“Is it such a surprise that a dude who has stolen thousands of dollars from acts such as Goolagoon, Mellow Harsher, Sick/Tired, and dozens more; churned and burned guitarists who didn’t want to be corporate entities in music; hurled ‘F—-t’ and ‘N—-r’ at folks and in conversation only to defend himself with, ‘I’m a a tex-mex queer. It’s okay.’ isn’t a great person?” they wrote in the caption.
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“Anyways — I’ve sat on this photo for 6+ years. Here’s Jesse with Escuela’s financial investors at Jesse’s Free Mason induction ceremony.”
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Gallery Credit: Various
