Following the firing of a Southern Poverty Law Center co-founder amid accusations of harboring a sexist and fostering a racist workplace culture, conservative leaders are calling for tech giants to end partnerships with the organization.
The leaders are asking the largest technology platforms – Amazon, Facebook, Google and Twitter – to cut off the SPLC, which touts itself as the nation’s hate watchdog.
“It is now clear that the SPLC has proven to be a hate-filled, anti-Christian, anti-conservative organization and nothing more than a weapon of the radical left, whose goal is to bully people into compliance with their ideology,” the leaders' letter says.
In recent years, the center has drawn criticism from Republicans and conservatives who have accused the SPLC of unfairly labeling people and groups with conservative viewpoints as bigots. Republican lawmakers have also questioned the working relationship between the SPLC and the FBI.
The organization fired co-founder Morris Dees last month.
About two dozen employees reportedly signed a letter saying “allegations of mistreatment, sexual harassment, gender discrimination and racism threaten the moral authority of this organization and our integrity along with it.”
The report stated that several women on staff were warned about being alone with Dees.
A 2017 complaint against the 82-year-old alleged that Dees made a female employee uncomfortable by touching her shoulder and asking about her visible tattoos, prompting her to contact human resources. Dees denied any wrongdoing but acknowledged the complaint.
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