The board of Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ rights organization in the United States, fired its president, Alphonso David, over sexual harassment that forced Andrew Cuomo to resign. governor of New York.
HRC board co-chairs Morgan Cox and Jodie Patterson said in a statement Monday that the board decided to fire David after completing an investigation into his actions related to the allegations against Cuomo.
Cox and Patterson cited the report on Cuomo issued Aug. 3 by New York Secretary of Justice Letitia James that the former governor sexually harassed 11 women. Cuomo has rejected the most serious allegations.
The co-chairs said that, according to the report, David “conducted a series of activities in December 2020, when he was president of HRC,” which consisted of helping the Cuomo government respond to complaints. of sexual harassment filed by the first accuser, Lindsey Boylan.
This conduct violated HRC rules regarding conflict of interest and “caused damage to Mr. David’s reputation to a sufficient degree to reduce his ability to serve as the public face and voice of HRC.” , said the co-chairs.
They mentioned “hundreds of calls, emails and other negative communications” from HRC staff, volunteers, business partners and politicians who expressed concern about David’s behavior “and his incompatibility with HRC’s values and mission.” “.
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David said in a statement posted on Twitter that HRC refused to provide him with a copy of the investigation report on him. He accused the board of acting unfairly and threatened to take legal action.
“When I asked for truth and transparency, the co-chairs of the HRC board, who should represent human rights, chose to hide in the dark,” David said. “They unfairly sent me a notice of dismissal to end my struggle for the integrity of the review process and for what is fair.”
“As a black and gay man who has dedicated his life to fighting for civil and human rights, they cannot silence me,” he added. “Wait for a legal appeal.”