Southern Poverty Law Center dismisses co-founder

The Southern Poverty Law Center, the Alabama-based civil rights nonprofit known for tracking hate organizations, said Thursday that co-founder Morris Dees has been fired, but did not disclose why, the AP reports.

"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. 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."