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Arab-American Civil Rights Group Fires President Amid Controversy
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee fired national President Warren David, his supporters say, after he expressed concerns over the civil rights group’s handling of sexual harassment allegations against its Michigan director.
And late Tuesday, the Michigan branch of the ADC said it will not hold its annual banquet, previously set for Friday, after protests were planned. David, a native of Northville who’s been a member of the ADC since its inception in 1980, was terminated Nov. 25 and replaced last week by Samer Khalaf, an attorney from New Jersey who was on the national board and executive committee. Khalaf was interim legal director at one time.
“Warren David was fired for taking a principled stance,” said Khaled Bey, a Detroit native who teaches law at UCLA and is in a movement trying to reform the ADC. David, a longtime activist in the Arab-American community, was national president of the ADC since July 2011. His wife, Amal David, also has been active in the Arab-American community and did volunteer work for the ADC, the biggest Arab-American civil rights group.
The termination of David, 61, came after the ADC in October removed its national communications director, Raed Jarrar, who also expressed concern over how the group handled sexual harassment and assault allegations against Imad Hamad, former head of the ADC’s Michigan branch. Jarrar and David have both said in recent months that the ADC needs to be more open and active in dealing with sexual harassment.
Some women say Hamad harassed employees or those who came to him seeking help with bias; Hamad says the allegations against him are unfounded.
After Jarrar was removed, four women employed in the national office of the ADC stopped working in protest and then resigned in November. In addition, three interns left. After an internal investigation, Hamad retired three days before David was fired.
The internal changes come as some Arab Americans are criticizing how the ADC operates. Last week, a group named Reform ADC was launched. It’s calling for the group to apologize for its actions and make changes.
The group was planning to hold a protest Friday at the annual banquet of the Michigan chapter. But the chapter’s new director, Fatima Abdrabboh, announced Tuesday that the banquet has been postponed this year. This will be the first time in recent memory the Michigan chapter — the largest ADC chapter — has not had its annual banquet, which is one of the biggest Arab-American events of the year. In previous years, the banquet attracted governors, Congressmen, businessmen, and Arab leaders from around the world.
“I have decided to postpone the Gala because I believe this time is best spent healing and mending,” Abdrabboh said in a statement.
Reform ADC said in response Tuesday that any healing can only come about after the “ADC actually starts listening to, rather than speaking to, its members and the community … Real accountability is needed.”
Bey, who used to be a leader with the University of Michigan chapter of the ADC, said David opposed “the retaliatory firing of Raed Jarrar, and stood by the four female employees…Ironically, David was fired for acting honorably while Imad Hamad was rewarded and allowed to retire.”
Khalaf and Dr. Safa Rifka, chair of the national board of the ADC, did not return calls seeking comment. David declined to comment. A message left at the Michigan office was not returned.
In a statement released last week, Khalaf said: “I am honored to be selected to lead an organization which has helped mold me into who I am today….I recognize that the organization has faced serious challenges the past few months.”
Khalaf has been involved with Arab-American groups in New Jersey and St. Mark’s Syrian Orthodox Cathedral in New Jersey.
In the release, Rifka said of Khalaf: “We have complete confidence in his ability to lead the organization.”
In an earlier release announcing David’s departure, the national office said, “ADC thanks Mr. David for assuming the position of president when he did, and wishes him well in his future endeavors.”
Niraj Warikoo
Detroit Free Press