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| Humane Society C.E.O. Weighs His Future Amid Harassment Allegations and Board Resignations | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States on Friday denied three allegations of sexual harassment but said that he was assessing his future after seven board members resigned in protest of a decision to keep him in the job. | The chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States on Friday denied three allegations of sexual harassment but said that he was assessing his future after seven board members resigned in protest of a decision to keep him in the job. |
| The resignations came Thursday night in response to a decision by the board to retain the chief executive, Wayne Pacelle, after the conclusion of an investigation into the accusations. | The resignations came Thursday night in response to a decision by the board to retain the chief executive, Wayne Pacelle, after the conclusion of an investigation into the accusations. |
| Mr. Pacelle denied all of the accusations in an interview with The New York Times on Friday morning, saying that two of the complaints were part of a coordinated effort to flood the investigator of a 2005 allegation with damaging information. | Mr. Pacelle denied all of the accusations in an interview with The New York Times on Friday morning, saying that two of the complaints were part of a coordinated effort to flood the investigator of a 2005 allegation with damaging information. |
| The Washington Post originally reported the allegations, which include complaints from a former intern who said Mr. Pacelle had kissed her against her will in 2005; a former employee who said he asked to masturbate in front of her and offered her oral sex in a hotel room in 2006; and a former employee who said he stopped by her office late one night in 2012 and asked her to salsa dance with him. | The Washington Post originally reported the allegations, which include complaints from a former intern who said Mr. Pacelle had kissed her against her will in 2005; a former employee who said he asked to masturbate in front of her and offered her oral sex in a hotel room in 2006; and a former employee who said he stopped by her office late one night in 2012 and asked her to salsa dance with him. |
| Mr. Pacelle denied the original 2005 allegation, and said that the “two others were part of this coordinated campaign against the Humane Society.” He called the 2006 allegation a fabrication and said that while he recalled the 2012 conversation that he had no recollection of the salsa dancing comment. | Mr. Pacelle denied the original 2005 allegation, and said that the “two others were part of this coordinated campaign against the Humane Society.” He called the 2006 allegation a fabrication and said that while he recalled the 2012 conversation that he had no recollection of the salsa dancing comment. |
| “I don’t know how to do salsa dancing, never done it once, never tried it in my life,” he said. | “I don’t know how to do salsa dancing, never done it once, never tried it in my life,” he said. |
| He also distanced himself from remarks made by one board member who defended him. In confirming the decision to retain Mr. Pacelle, the board member, Erika Brunson, 83, a retired interior designer, told The Times late Thursday that she was aware only of what she called a “ridiculous” old accusation against him regarding an alleged affair. | He also distanced himself from remarks made by one board member who defended him. In confirming the decision to retain Mr. Pacelle, the board member, Erika Brunson, 83, a retired interior designer, told The Times late Thursday that she was aware only of what she called a “ridiculous” old accusation against him regarding an alleged affair. |
| “The C.E.O. stays, and rightfully so,” she said. “We’re not an association that investigates sexual harassment. We raise funds for animals.” | “The C.E.O. stays, and rightfully so,” she said. “We’re not an association that investigates sexual harassment. We raise funds for animals.” |
| She said Mr. Pacelle had “done nothing wrong,” adding, “Which red-blooded male hasn’t sexually harassed somebody? Women should be able to take care of themselves.” | She said Mr. Pacelle had “done nothing wrong,” adding, “Which red-blooded male hasn’t sexually harassed somebody? Women should be able to take care of themselves.” |
| She added, “We’d have no C.E.O.s and no executives of American companies if none of them had affairs. It’s nonsense.” | She added, “We’d have no C.E.O.s and no executives of American companies if none of them had affairs. It’s nonsense.” |
| Mr. Pacelle said Friday that Ms. Brunson was just one of dozens of board members and did not speak for either the board or the organization. “She was probably representing a view that I’ve heard from a number of people, that there are times when this can go too far,” he said. “There is no distinction drawn between certain types of behavior.” | Mr. Pacelle said Friday that Ms. Brunson was just one of dozens of board members and did not speak for either the board or the organization. “She was probably representing a view that I’ve heard from a number of people, that there are times when this can go too far,” he said. “There is no distinction drawn between certain types of behavior.” |
| Pressed to elaborate, he said, “I can’t get into Erika’s head, and she doesn’t speak for the organization.” | Pressed to elaborate, he said, “I can’t get into Erika’s head, and she doesn’t speak for the organization.” |
| Mr. Pacelle said he could not explain the decision of the board members who had resigned, only that it was an emotional issue and that their departures were “troubling.” | Mr. Pacelle said he could not explain the decision of the board members who had resigned, only that it was an emotional issue and that their departures were “troubling.” |
| He acknowledged he was thinking about his future professional life. “I’m going to take stock of everyone’s opinion and assess where I go and where the organization goes from here,” he said. “I think leadership changes at organizations are often very healthy and renewing, and I’m going to talk with staff and board members and find the best course that contributes to our mission of fighting for all animals.” | He acknowledged he was thinking about his future professional life. “I’m going to take stock of everyone’s opinion and assess where I go and where the organization goes from here,” he said. “I think leadership changes at organizations are often very healthy and renewing, and I’m going to talk with staff and board members and find the best course that contributes to our mission of fighting for all animals.” |
| The resignations of the seven board members, first reported by The Post, were confirmed in an email Friday by Andrew Weinstein, the former chairman of the organization’s finance committee. | The resignations of the seven board members, first reported by The Post, were confirmed in an email Friday by Andrew Weinstein, the former chairman of the organization’s finance committee. |
| There have been other ramifications of the decision. A contract lobbyist for the Humane Society said Thursday that she would not continue to work for the organization, and a major donor said his foundation would not renew a $100,000 grant for the Humane Society. | There have been other ramifications of the decision. A contract lobbyist for the Humane Society said Thursday that she would not continue to work for the organization, and a major donor said his foundation would not renew a $100,000 grant for the Humane Society. |
| The chairman of the board, Eric L. Bernthal, told that donor in an email on Tuesday that the law firm investigating the allegations had interviewed more than 30 people since mid-December. | The chairman of the board, Eric L. Bernthal, told that donor in an email on Tuesday that the law firm investigating the allegations had interviewed more than 30 people since mid-December. |
| “The investigation became much more wide-ranging, and we (the board of directors) never restricted its reach,” Mr. Bernthal wrote to the donor, Jim Greenbaum, who gave a $100,000 grant to the Humane Society last year. | “The investigation became much more wide-ranging, and we (the board of directors) never restricted its reach,” Mr. Bernthal wrote to the donor, Jim Greenbaum, who gave a $100,000 grant to the Humane Society last year. |
| Through a series of mergers, affiliations and corporate partnerships with other animal protection and animal care groups, Mr. Pacelle, who has held his position since 2004, is credited with building the Humane Society into the nation’s 138th largest charity. The organization had more than $210 million in net assets at the end of 2016, according to its latest nonprofit filings. Records put Mr. Pacelle’s base compensation at more than $330,000 in 2016. | |
| The leadership of the organization is largely female, Mr. Pacelle said, with a large human resources department that handles employee complaints. | The leadership of the organization is largely female, Mr. Pacelle said, with a large human resources department that handles employee complaints. |
| “We have been, like I’m sure every other organization, grappling with this issue in the workplace for a long time, particularly in the last year or so,” he said, specifying that he was referring to the departure of Paul Shapiro, who Politico reported had left the organization after accusations that he had helped foster a climate of uncomfortable sexual innuendo. | “We have been, like I’m sure every other organization, grappling with this issue in the workplace for a long time, particularly in the last year or so,” he said, specifying that he was referring to the departure of Paul Shapiro, who Politico reported had left the organization after accusations that he had helped foster a climate of uncomfortable sexual innuendo. |
| Rachel Perman, a director at the Tofurky Company in Oregon, said in an interview on Thursday night that she decided in November to email the Humane Society’s board members after hearing from people who had accused Mr. Pacelle of sexual harassment. Ms. Perman, who has donated to the Humane Society, said allegations of sexual misconduct against Mr. Pacelle had been widely rumored among animal rights activists. | Rachel Perman, a director at the Tofurky Company in Oregon, said in an interview on Thursday night that she decided in November to email the Humane Society’s board members after hearing from people who had accused Mr. Pacelle of sexual harassment. Ms. Perman, who has donated to the Humane Society, said allegations of sexual misconduct against Mr. Pacelle had been widely rumored among animal rights activists. |
| Only one board member, Ms. Brunson, responded. | Only one board member, Ms. Brunson, responded. |
| “Are you out of your mind?” she wrote, according to a copy of the message. “Don’t you have anything better to do in life than air your repressed sexual fantasies in public?” | “Are you out of your mind?” she wrote, according to a copy of the message. “Don’t you have anything better to do in life than air your repressed sexual fantasies in public?” |
| No one else replied to her message, Ms. Perman said. | No one else replied to her message, Ms. Perman said. |
| Jennifer Fearing, who was the California senior state director for the Humane Society from 2006 to 2014, said she resigned on Thursday as a contract lobbyist for the organization because of the board’s reported decision. | Jennifer Fearing, who was the California senior state director for the Humane Society from 2006 to 2014, said she resigned on Thursday as a contract lobbyist for the organization because of the board’s reported decision. |
| “Closing the investigation feels like a betrayal of trust,” Ms. Fearing said in an email. “I stand with the board members who resigned.” She called for a complete leadership change. | “Closing the investigation feels like a betrayal of trust,” Ms. Fearing said in an email. “I stand with the board members who resigned.” She called for a complete leadership change. |
| The report of the board’s decision also outraged some major donors to the Humane Society, who said on Thursday evening that they were no longer going to donate to the group. | The report of the board’s decision also outraged some major donors to the Humane Society, who said on Thursday evening that they were no longer going to donate to the group. |
| One of those donors was Mr. Greenbaum, who informed the board’s chairman on Thursday that he would not renew his foundation’s $100,000 grant. | One of those donors was Mr. Greenbaum, who informed the board’s chairman on Thursday that he would not renew his foundation’s $100,000 grant. |
| “It is a no-brainer situation,” said Mr. Greenbaum, a retired telecom executive who now runs a philanthropy, The Greenbaum Foundation. “Pacelle should be terminated immediately.” | “It is a no-brainer situation,” said Mr. Greenbaum, a retired telecom executive who now runs a philanthropy, The Greenbaum Foundation. “Pacelle should be terminated immediately.” |