Less than 24 hours after a vote of confidence from the board of the Humane Society of the United States, Wayne Pacelle resigned as its chief executive due to complaints of sexual harassment. “Major donors said they would withdraw or reconsider their support,” said the blog Nonprofit Chronicles. “Two of Pacelle’s accusers went public with their charges. Others surfaced.”
The investigation of Pacelle, and a related report by Politico of harassment by Paul Shapiro, a former HSUS vice president, rocked the organization and raised questions about its future. Seven of the 31 members of the HSUS board quit in protest of the decision on Thursday to keep Pacelle, who denied any wrongdoing. The society’s top lobbyist in California ended her contract with the nonprofit, and Animal Charities Evaluators rescinded its 2016 assessment of HSUS as a “standout” charity.
Pacelle’s resignation took effect immediately. “Now the board needs to be held accountable for its action, which has done untold harm to the Humane Society brand and the animal-welfare cause,” said Nonprofit Chronicles.