The Southern Poverty Law Center has fired Morris Dees, the civil rights organization's co-founder and former chief litigator.
Dees, 82, co-founded the Montgomery-based organization in 1971.
SPLC President Richard Cohen said in a statement Dees' dismissal was effective on Wednesday, March 13.
"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."
"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."
A message seeking further comment was left on Cohen’s cell phone Thursday afternoon, and additional question regarding Dees' termination have been sent to SPLC's press office.
Dees' biography appeared scrubbed from the SPLC's website as news broke of his termination on Thursday afternoon.
The attorney, a Montgomery native, has been a fixture in politics since the group's ascension, though his organization has faced scrutiny in the past.
A 1994 Montgomery Advertiser series provided a deep look into the organization controlled by the multimillionaire Dees, illustrating his near-singular control over the organization and its mammoth budget.
It revealed a figure seen as heroic by some and single-minded by others who criticized Dees as more focused on raising money than fighting injustice.
The series also alleged discriminatory treatment of black employees within the advocacy group, despite its outward efforts to improve the treatment of minorities in the country. Staffers at the time “accused Morris Dees, the center’s driving force, of being a racist and black employees have ‘felt threatened and banded together.’” The organization denied the accusations raised in the series.
Dees' central role in the organization has also led to numerous threats against him, and the Advertiser previously reported that he has 24-hour protection at his home.
Over the years, the SPLC has continued to amass a massive war chest of funds from donors amid differing levels of scrutiny.
In recent years, the organization has become nationally known and scrutinized for its Hatewatch work tracking the rise of hate groups, particularly white supremacists.
It continues to produce research and advocacy on a variety of topics, including payday lending, civil asset forfeiture and immigration rights.
The SPLC also continues its day-to-day civil rights litigation, including an ongoing lawsuit to address prison conditions in Alabama.
“The SPLC is deeply committed to having a workplace that reflects the values it espouses – truth, justice, equity and inclusion, and we believe the steps we have taken today reaffirm that commitment," Cohen said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Brian Lyman contributed to this report.
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Melissa Brown at 334-240-0132 or mabrown@gannett.com.
https://eu.montgomeryadvertiser.com...r-civil-rights-lawyer-morris-dees/3164839002/
Given how the SPLC has been used ever more increasingly increasingly as an "official rubber stamp" of bigotry/nazism against everyone who pisses off various journalists and activists, from left wing muslim reformists to schoolkids smiling in public while harassed by black supremecists and boozed up injuns to people who post fucking pepe memes among others, and this guy is not only the co-founder but has long faced accusations of encouraging and supporting this sort of dishonest and cynical chicanery in order to get more donations from terrified rich liberal idiots, the question I have is whether this is a case of somebody desperately trying to clean house and steer the ship away from death by a thousand lawsuits, or whether it is simply that he was not fanatical enough in persecuting the heretics in the eyes of the REEEE mob the SPLC shitshow has been hiring as of late.
Word in jungleland is that its the latter, and this passage from the article seems to hint at just that
A 1994 Montgomery Advertiser series provided a deep look into the organization controlled by the multimillionaire Dees, illustrating his near-singular control over the organization and its mammoth budget.
It revealed a figure seen as heroic by some and single-minded by others who criticized Dees as more focused on raising money than fighting injustice.
The series also alleged discriminatory treatment of black employees within the advocacy group, despite its outward efforts to improve the treatment of minorities in the country. Staffers at the time “accused Morris Dees, the center’s driving force, of being a racist and black employees have ‘felt threatened and banded together.’” The organization denied the accusations raised in the series.
