Several prominent staffers of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana have resigned in the last few weeks.
Four of the civil rights organization’s five principal attorneys have submitted resignations, including legal director Ken Falk, deputy legal director Gavin Rose, senior staff attorney Stevie Pactor and staff attorney Josh Bleisch.
One staff member not on the legal team was fired.
According to reporting from the Indianapolis Star, the resignations came after staff concerns and conflicts with incoming executive director Nikkita Oliver. Anonymous sources in the article expressed concerns with the direction of the organization under Oliver.
WFIU has not independently verified any complaints made by ACLU staff against Oliver.
Oliver has a background in legal nonprofits and activism.
In a written statement provided to WFIU, the ACLU of Indiana Board said, “The Board has hired an outside HR firm to conduct an independent review of contradictory reports from a few staff, including rumors, unsubstantiated accusations, and long-standing complaints about workplace culture. The board initiated the independent HR review in mid-September. We expect it to take six to eight weeks.”
The ACLU of Indiana is working to identify an interim Legal Director.
