Nonprofit News From Elsewhere
For years, the leader of a large network of homeless shelters in New York City has sexually assaulted or harassed women and has used city largesse to enrich himself, according to a New York Times investigation. Ten women — current or former employees of Victor Rivera’s nonprofit Bronx Parent Housing Network or women in housing that he controlled — accuse Rivera of behavior ranging from making lewd comments to forcing them to perform sex acts. The network, which Rivera started in 2000, has received $274 million from the city since 2017, and his salary has mushroomed from $67,000 in 2012 to $306,000 in 2019. Among other fiscal and sexual abuses, Rivera helped some women in the shelter to move into apartments he owned, collecting public subsidies while sexually preying on them. In response to the investigation, New York City will hire an outside auditor to review the city’s $2 billion network of shelter providers. After the newspaper sought comment about the allegations, Mr. Rivera was put on leave. He declined to answer specific questions but has denied wrongdoing. (New York Times)
Plus: After Abuse Allegations, $2 Billion Shelter Network Faces Scrutiny (New York Times)
An inquiry that found “nothing actionable” in accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation at United Way Worldwide was a sham, according to a legal expert and the accusers. Since November, about two dozen women have told the press of harassment, pay inequity, or other issues after three women filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Last week, in announcing the results of the investigation, the organization said a law firm had interviewed 23 current employees and pored over 2,500 pages of documents. But an employment-law expert said this type of investigation would typically involve 20 times that number of pages, and the law firm apparently did not interview the complainants. In a subsequent statement, board leaders of the U.S. and global arms of United Way said the EEO had dismissed the claims, although one case was settled, another is pending, and the third woman was cleared to sue United Way but has so far not opted to. (HuffPost)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is considering selling some of its works to help close a $150 million hole in its budget created by the pandemic closure. Curators are looking for works that are rarely shown, are duplicative, or “have been supplanted by better examples.” The museum has until April 2022 to take advantage of a two-year window during which the Association of Art Museum Directors has relaxed rules for selling off artworks, which is usually permitted only to raise funds to acquire more pieces. Max Hollein, the museum’s director, said it would be “inappropriate” for the museum not to consider selling the works, but a former director said he worries that the institution could set an example for other museums to use such sales as an easier way to cover operating costs. (New York Times)
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