Mar 14, 2019

Southern Poverty Law Center dismisses co-founder

Southern Poverty Law Center co-founder, Morris Dees. Photo: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images for Discovery Communications

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."
— SPLC president Richard Cohen in a statement.

Details: Dees, who co-founded the group in 1971 was terminated Wednesday and told the AP that the matter is personal. The SPLC said an outside party conducted a "comprehensive assessment of our internal climate and workplace practices."

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