Amid internal turmoil, the head of the Southern Poverty Law Center resigned from his post Friday. The announcement comes on the heels of misconduct and discrimination allegations against one of the most prominent anti-hate organizations in the country.
Richard Cohen, who announced his resignation via email to center staff, said that he hopes the organization’s staff and supporters continue to work on and support the organizational mission and to not let inconclusive allegations get in the way of executing the mission. He also said that the organization will be conducting an internal review of its standard operating procedures.
“Whatever problems exist at the SPLC happened on my watch, so I take responsibility for them,” the departing president wrote in an internal email obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
Cohen’s resignation is the second high-profile departure from the organization in the last week. The Alabama-based organization fired its co-founder Morris Dees for misconduct and said appropriate action must be taken when “one of our own fails to meet those standards.”
“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 a statement at the time, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. “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.”
Additionally, the Washington Post reported that another senior member of the organization, legal director Rhonda Brownstein, also resigned on Thursday.
