Humane Society CEO is subject of sexual harassment complaints from three women, according to internal investigation

An internal investigation by a law firm hired by the Humane Society of the United States has identified three complaints of sexual harassment by chief executive Wayne Pacelle and found that senior female leaders said their warnings about his conduct went unheeded, according to two people familiar with the matter and a Humane Society memo describing the investigation. The investigation also found the nonprofit agency, one of the country's biggest animal charities, had offered settlements to three other workers who said they were demoted or dismissed after reporting Pacelle's alleged behavior, according to the Humane Society memo. Investigators from the law firm Morgan Lewis, who interviewed 33 people, including Pacelle, also reported that there was a perception within the Humane Society that certain women owed their career success to romantic relationships with the chief executive. The memo said that several former high-ranking women had warned Pacelle, who has led the organization since 2004, that his sexual relationships with subordinates, donors and volunteers could hurt the charity. The memo notes that Pacelle, while not directly addressing the issue, said he had changed his behavior as he grew older...more