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| Subject: Karma, lol: Deceptive SPLC fires co-founder, civil rights lawyer Morris Dees Thu Mar 14, 2019 8:53 pm | |
| The Southern Poverty Law Center has fired Morris Dees, the civil rights organization's co-founder and former chief litigator.
SPLC President Richard Cohen said in a statement Dees' dismissal 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.
An SPLC spokesperson said the organization was "in the process of hiring" the firm for the workplace climate assessment, and no other leadership changes had been announced.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/03/14/southern-poverty-law-center-fires-co-founder-morris-dees/3165510002/ |
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