The president of the largest non-profit foundation in the United States, which protects the rights of the LGBT community, was dismissed from his post for helping former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in connection with allegations of sexual harassment.
The president of the NGO Human Rights Campaign, Alfonso David, was dismissed from his post because ” his actions put us in an unbearable position, violating the basic values, policies, and mission of the HRC,” the official statement says.
However, David did not agree with his dismissal and went on the attack on the board of directors of the fund, accusing the latter of making opaque decisions.
“They told me that they want to calmly resolve this issue this weekend, hoping that at this time there will be less media interest. I have the support of many of our employees, board members, and stakeholders. I am not going to resign, ” he said.
He refused to resign, saying that the members of the organization’s board informed him that their investigation did not reveal any violations on his part.
“They unfairly provided me with a notice of dismissal to stop my struggle for the integrity of the review process and for what is right. Expect a trial, ” he wrote on Twitter.
In response, the HRC management stated that David’s statement “contained significant untruths about the investigation and his status in the organization.”
David’s previous statement, which came as a shock to the foundation’s employees, revealed a noticeable split within the organization just a few weeks after the board of directors extended David’s contract, noting his successful leadership.
The scandal broke out after a report by Attorney General Letitia James, who is investigating a sexual harassment case against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, revealed that Alfonso David — a former lawyer in the governor’s office-advised Cuomo about a letter that the governor drafted to refute the harassment allegations made against Cuomo by Lindsay Boylan. She became the first of 11 women who accused the ex-governor of harassment.
David’s involvement in attempts to exonerate Cuomo led to significant disagreements in the HRC. At a staff meeting held shortly after the publication of the Prosecutor General’s report, several employees raised the issue of his resignation. However, it has become impossible to dismiss a black gay man in the United States without receiving accusations of homophobia and racism, even for a foundation that protects the rights of blacks and members of the LGBT community.
