Sierra Club in turmoil after board fires executive director

The Sierra Club, one of the nation’s oldest and most prominent nonprofit environmental groups, was thrown into upheaval last week after its executive director was fired.

- BY SUHAUNA HUSSAIN AND LILA SEIDMAN

ALEX BRANDON Associated Press BEN JEALOUS had been the environmental group's top director since 2023.

In an Aug. 11 email to staff, Sierra Club President Patrick Murphy said the board of directors had voted unanimously to terminate Ben Jealous after conducting “an extensive evaluation of his conduct.”

Jealous’ tenure had been tumultuous. He clashed with staff over sweeping layoffs and faced sharp criticism from ousted high-level employees, volunteers and some notable environmental advocates. They said the Oakland-based organization had stifled differing opinions and had become weakened as the Trump administration rolled back environmental protections.

The group's board had placed Jealous on leave in July.

Murphy said in the Monday email that the board's decision was “a difficult but principled one” to “ensure every individual at the Sierra Club is held equally accountable, with no special treatment or favor for those holding influence and power.”

The Sierra Club declined to give specific details on why Jealous, who ran the organization out of Washington, was fired.

Jonathon Berman, a spokesperson for the Sierra Club, said that Jealous had “engaged in conduct that constitutes cause under his employment agreement.” Berman clarified that the decision had “nothing whatsoever to do with layoffs” or controversial hiring moves by Jealous.

In a statement to The Times, Jealous defended his record, saying he strengthened the organization's finances and achieved a “progressive union contract.” He said he would contest the move to fire him, and that he “remained proud” of what he had accomplished at the Sierra Club.