The multimillionaire conman who co-founded the Southern Poverty Law Center has been given the boot by the organization.
The Montgomery Advertiser reports:
The Southern Poverty Law Center fired Morris Dees, the nonprofit civil rights organization’s co-founder and former chief litigator.
SPLC President Richard Cohen said in a statement Dees’ dismissal over his misconduct was effective on Wednesday, March 13. When pressed for details on what led to the termination, the organization declined to elaborate.
“As a civil rights organization, the SPLC is committed to ensuring that the conduct of our staff reflects the mission of the organization and the values we hope to instill in the world,” Cohen said in the emailed statement. “When one of our own fails to meet those standards, no matter his or her role in the organization, we take it seriously and must take appropriate action.”
Dees, 82, co-founded the Montgomery-based organization in 1971.
“It was not my decision, what they did,” Dees said when reached by phone. “I wish the center the absolute best. Whatever reasons they had of theirs, I don’t know.”
On Thursday, he said he hadn’t tried a case in at least a decade and hadn’t recently been involved in the day-to-day operations of the SPLC.
Dees’ termination is one of several steps taken by the organization this week, Cohen said.
“Today we announced a number of immediate, concrete next steps we’re taking, including bringing in an outside organization to conduct a comprehensive assessment of our internal climate and workplace practices, to ensure that our talented staff is working in the environment that they deserve — one in which all voices are heard and all staff members are respected,” Cohen said.
What finished Dees off? Sexual harassment? Misappropriating funds? Racism? Or is it some weird neo-Marxist intersectionality thing?
Who knows.
This could be fun.
Meanwhile, Josh Moon of the Alabama Political Report is tweeting about the story.
Dees said he and the SPLC were moving in different directions. Other sources say sexual harassment was an issue in his termination.
Here are Moon’s tweets:
Just spoke with Morris Dees. He tells me that there were no incidents of inappropriate behavior by him and that the decision to remove him was driven by a difference of opinion on the direction of the SPLC. /1
— Josh Moon (@Josh_Moon) March 14, 2019
Dees noted that he is 82 and hasn't been in charge of SPLC in a number of years. "I probably only go down there about two day a week. There was nothing like that (sexual harassment)." He also wished the center well and said the employees "are a fine group of people."/F
— Josh Moon (@Josh_Moon) March 14, 2019
I have been sent a number of internal SPLC emails that address the ongoing situation and specifically discuss Dees. Looks like a combination of complaints regarding sexual harassment and racial biases in promotion and hierarchy led to this.
— Josh Moon (@Josh_Moon) March 14, 2019
The final straw for many SPLC employees appears to be the recent resignation of attorney Meredith Horton. Horton sent an email to announce her resignation, which SPLC president Richard Cohen shared with all staff. In it, Horton raised concerns about gender/racial biases.
— Josh Moon (@Josh_Moon) March 14, 2019
In other SPLC emails, it is clear that Dees is being accused by female employees of some level of mistreatment. The allegations aren't specific and speak more of a history of mistreatment.
— Josh Moon (@Josh_Moon) March 14, 2019
Again, though, the primary complaints in these SPLC emails speak more to a history and overall atmosphere within the org in which women and employees of color aren't given equal standing and their complaints aren't taken seriously.
— Josh Moon (@Josh_Moon) March 14, 2019
Yup. Fun.
(2015 photo of Morris Dees, above, by Tim Pierce)