Former Sierra Club Director Allegedly Fired Amid Controversy
Ben Jealous, the former executive director of the Sierra Club, reportedly faced dismissal in August due to allegations of sexual harassment, later followed by accusations of racism, according to a Bloomberg report.
The board of directors at the Sierra Club, one of the oldest and largest environmental groups in the U.S., unanimously voted to remove Jealous early in August after examining his conduct. This decision came in the wake of a misconduct complaint lodged by an employee at the end of the previous year, which detailed claims of sexual harassment and bullying. Jealous responded by attributing his termination to racial bias.
“It’s not surprising that the Sierra Club leaned on personal attacks. That’s how racial retaliation works. When you face discrimination, they don’t call you out for being black,” Jealous remarked. He expressed that before his exit, he had raised significant concerns regarding racism and retaliation. He mentioned filing an arbitration complaint outlining his experiences of discrimination and retaliation, criticizing what he termed the secretive process surrounding his contract.
Bloomberg reported that Jealous allegedly made inappropriate sexual remarks, including explicit comments about his own sex life and the physical appearances of women in the organization. The complaint also suggested instances of verbal abuse directed at the employee.
Jealous became the first black leader of the Sierra Club in 2023, previously serving as the head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Neither Jealous nor the Sierra Club have provided comments regarding the issue when approached by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Established in 1892, the Sierra Club is recognized for both its environmental advocacy and its political involvement. The organization lists “anti-racism, balance, collaboration, justice, and change” as core values on its website.
During the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, the Sierra Club faced scrutiny for distancing itself from co-founder John Muir, who was criticized for his racially insensitive comments from the past.
Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist and MSNBC host, expressed concern regarding Jealous’s firing. “I’m troubled by how the Sierra Club treated Ben Jealous, a man I knew to be dedicated and professional,” Sharpton stated after the news of Jealous’s dismissal surfaced. He highlighted the racial implications of firing a prominent black leader at a time when diversity efforts are under scrutiny.
