Politics

Left-Wing SPLC Abruptly Fires Co-Founder Morris Dees

(Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images for Discovery Communications)

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Font Size:

The Southern Poverty Law Center fired co-founder Morris Dees on Wednesday, the left-wing nonprofit announced on Thursday.

The group, which is known to label pedestrian conservative organizations as “hate groups,” is a key resource for Amazon, Google and other tech companies in policing “hate speech.”

“Effective yesterday, Morris Dees’ employment at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) was terminated. 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,” SPLC President Richard Cohen said in a statement released to The Daily Caller News Foundation.

“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,” Cohen said.

Cohen’s statement hinted that Dees’ firing was related to the nonprofit’s internal climate.

“Today we announced a number of immediate, concrete next steps we’re taking, including bringing in an outside organization to conduct a comprehensive assessment of our internal climate and workplace practices, to ensure that our talented staff is working in the environment that they deserve – one in which all voices are heard and all staff members are respected,” Cohen said.

(Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images for Discovery Communications)

“Hate In America” Host Tony Harris, Founder, Southern Poverty Law Center, Morris Dee and Intelligence Project Director, Southern Poverty Law Center, Heidi Beirich of “Hate In America” speak onstage during the Discovery Communications TCA Winter 2016 at The Langham Huntington Hotel and Spa on January 7, 2016 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images for Discovery Communications)

Dees’ firing was first reported by the Montgomery Advertiser, which added that the SPLC has already scrubbed Dees’ biography from their website. SPLC staffers had previously accused Dees of racism, the Advertiser noted.(RELATED: SPLC Pays Out Millions To Group It Wrongly Labeled Bigoted)

 (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Richard Cohen, President of the Southern Poverty Law Center, speaks during a press conference November 29, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

An SPLC spokesman reached on the phone declined to provide further details on Dees’ firing, beyond Cohen’s statement.

Follow Hasson on Twitter @PeterJHasson

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.