The news comes months after atheist physicist Lawrence Krauss has been accused of the same (see: http://www.sacerdotus.com/2018/02/atheist-lawrence-krauss-accused-of.html). According to Buzzfeed, Silverman was accused by two women who say he sexually assaulted them. He also abused his authority at the atheist organization. Silverman met one of the women who goes by Rose St. Clair at a party during the 2012 Secular Student Alliance Conference. He flirted with her and took her to his hotel room. The other women who goes by "R" claims that Silverman forced himself onto her and bruised her arms. He forced her to get on her knees.
The American Atheists Board of Directors has voted to terminate David Silverman as president of American Atheists. https://t.co/BOFTvo3WjI— American Atheists (@AmericanAtheist) April 13, 2018
Neal Cary, the chair of American Atheists Board of Directors issued this statement:
"Last night, the American Atheists Board of Directors voted to terminate David Silverman as President of American Atheists. Board Chair Neal Cary and Vice President Kathleen Johnson will continue to fulfill the duties of the President while National Program Director Nick Fish oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization.
On April 10, 2018, the Board of Directors placed President David Silverman on leave pending a review of allegations raised regarding Mr. Silverman’s conduct. The Board of Directors has reviewed internal documents and communications related to the initial complaint as well as evidence relating to the additional allegations brought to the Board’s attention. Today’s announcement is based on these findings, and the Board intends to cooperate with any future investigations.
American Atheists is committed to creating and maintaining an environment that is safe and welcoming to all. Based on the allegations made, and the evidence presented, the Board believes it is prudent and necessary to reaffirm that commitment and move forward with new leadership.
The staff of American Atheists will continue our mission to advocate for the absolute separation of religion from government, to elevate the profile of atheism in public discourse, and to build and strengthen communities that fully represent the growing number of atheists in America. We thank our members, supporters, and volunteers for their dedication and support of our mission."
We take our obligation to create safe and welcoming communities for our staff, volunteers, members and supporters very seriously. We have zero tolerance for the type of behavior alleged in these accounts. (1/2) https://t.co/eqJ4Kr3GNm— American Atheists (@AmericanAtheist) April 14, 2018
We will continue to demand the highest standards and accountability from our leaders, staff, and volunteers. (2/2)— American Atheists (@AmericanAtheist) April 14, 2018
In the time since the initial complaint was made, the Board evaluated internal documents and records and, based on that examination, made the decision to terminate Mr. Silverman.— American Atheists (@AmericanAtheist) April 13, 2018
Because this is a personnel matter, we cannot go into specifics about the allegations. This is to protect both the persons who brought the allegations and Mr. Silverman. We take all allegations of misconduct seriously and acted quickly to begin an investigation.— American Atheists (@AmericanAtheist) April 13, 2018
The atheism movement has had trouble with men abusing women for decades. These incidents go un-reported due to fear of retaliation. The movement is dominated by wealthy white men who assert their authority over women, many who are pressured to do things in order to achieve status among atheists. Something has to be done in order to protect women from these perverts. David Silverman tweets as "MrAtheistPants." We are now learning that he is really "MrAtheistPervertPants." His actions are deplorable and must be condemned by atheists.
Silverman is one who focused a lot of priests and other Christian leaders in regards to sexual abuse, yet he had his own skeletons in his closet, so to speak. I applaud American Atheists for immediately taking action against this perverted man and applaud the brave women who spoke out. Atheism breeds immorality. When morals are relative, anything goes. I am afraid that this is the tip of the iceberg. We will see more prominent atheist leaders outed for their sexual abuse.
Source:
https://www.atheists.org/2018/04/update-regarding-david-silverman/
https://www.atheists.org/2018/04/announcement-regarding-american-atheists-president-david-silverman/
https://www.christianpost.com/news/american-atheists-president-david-silverman-suspended-after-complaint-investigation-launched-222795/
http://www.thecabin.net/news/20180413/american-atheists-president-placed-on-leave
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/accordingtomatthew/2018/04/david-silverman-officially-fired-from-american-atheists-after-allegations-of-sexual-assault-and-financial-conflicts/
https://www.buzzfeed.com/peteraldhous/david-silverman-atheist-fired-sexual-misconduct?utm_term=.seYjMmY6A#.aam7BW8Kv
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/freethoughtnow/4385-2/
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2018/04/10/david-silverman-has-been-temporarily-suspended-from-american-atheists/
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for reading and for your comment. All comments are subject to approval. They must be free of vulgarity, ad hominem and must be relevant to the blog posting subject matter.