NEA Alaska Executive Director Resigns
EIA has learned that NEA Alaska Executive Director Tom Harvey tendered his resignation last Thursday.
Harvey was the focus of an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit, prompted by complaints of three female former NEA Alaska employees. The staffers had accused Harvey of bullying and verbally abusing them in 2000. NEA Alaska promoted Harvey to executive director after the EEOC lawsuit was filed. NEA and NEA Alaska settled the case last month, agreeing to pay the former staffers a total of $750,000 without admitting to any wrongdoing.
The Harvey case was a legal landmark of sorts, because in examining the details the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that harassing conduct against female employees can violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act even if it has nothing to do with sex.
In his resignation letter, Harvey cited medical and family reasons for his decision, making his resignation effective at the end of the union’s fiscal year — midnight, August 31. Harvey’s contract was to run until June 2007.
NEA Alaska did not respond to a request for comment.
