Sandals Resorts homosexual exec resigns, gay partner sacked, after they're caught on video brawling in the street: sources

They had trouble in paradise. 

A Sandals Resorts exec and his colleague lover were caught on video in a 
wild brawl in the Caribbean that left them both jobless, The Post has 
learned.

On March 2, Sandals art curator Rafael de Vasconcelos attacked his 
partner, the hotel chain’s chief development officer Eugene Staal, on a 
highway in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, shoving him into a ditch and 
then climbing on top and pummeling him, according to published footage 
and co-workers.

The couple, who left a function around 11 p.m., were staying on the 
island ahead of a new Sandals resort opening there last week, a senior 
executive said. 

During the altercation in the village of Lowman’s Hill, de Vasconcelos 
shoved Staal into a concrete ditch along the highway while a black car 
idled in the middle of the road, footage showed.

He then screamed at Staal as he hopped on top of him before repeatedly 
slamming his head into the concrete. 

De Vasconcelos then got into the car and drove away as Staal stood up 
and began walking along the highway, according to the footage. De 
Vasconcelos is later seen again screaming at Staal and then storming 
off. 

Police responded to the incident, according to local outlet iWitness 
News, and sources said it was unclear what sparked the dispute. 

“I don’t know if they had too much to drink [but] when I watched the 
video, it was very brutal,” the senior executive told The Post, adding 
Staal received medical treatment after the attack. 

“I remember watching the video and thinking ‘This guy’s lucky to be 
alive’ … I was surprised he could get up and walk,” he said. 

Staal, a veteran hospitality executive who previously held positions at 
Hyatt and Penta Hotels, joined Sandals in 2022, according to his 
LinkedIn. De Vasconcelos, who previously worked as a fraud analyst for 
Apple in Lisbon, Portugal, joined the company in January.

Days after the footage of the couple’s fight began circulating around 
the company, de Vasconcelos was asked to resign, the Sandals senior 
executive said. 

Soon after, on March 11, Staal resigned “for personal reasons,” 
according to an email sent to Sandals honchos, a copy of which was 
obtained by The Post. 

“At the higher levels, it’s a little embarrassing to see that exposure,” 
said one senior employee. 

A Sandals spokesperson confirmed Staal and de Vasconcelos were no longer 
Sandals employees, but declined to comment on the reason for their 
departures.

Staal and de Vasconcelos did not respond to requests for comment.

https://nypost.com/2024/04/06/world-news/sandals-resorts-exec-resigns-
after-partner-sacked-over-caught-on-video-brawl-sources/