San Diego LGBT Pride seemingly self-destructed in early January, with the firing of the executive director, the resignations of half of the full-time staff, the resignations of all but three board members, and calls for the remaining board members to step down.
What actually happened depends on what story one believes.
It began when the Pride board waived the organization’s bylaws and gave volunteer board chair Philip Princetta a $5,000 cash gift for his service to the organization.
Executive Director Ron deHarte objected to the payment as improper, and says he was fired when he refused to back down.
Under pressure from the community, the remaining members of the board later apologized for the $5,000 “indiscretion” and said Princetta returned the money.
The board members also claimed that deHarte’s firing was unrelated to the $5,000 misstep and instead flowed from a “disparity or tension” between the board and deHarte regarding “transparency of information.”
The board further alleged, in an open letter, that a plan was or is afoot “to remove the current governing body of this organization and ‘take it over,’ plain and simple.”
In an interview, deHarte said “any sane person” would reject the board’s narrative. He said board members entered his office Jan. 5, told him they were there regarding a letter he wrote about the $5,000, and informed him that his services were no longer needed.
DeHarte had been in the job for four years, during which the Pride organization and events seemingly thrived even as the board of directors dropped to half its former size. Overall, some 11 people left the board during deHarte’s tenure.
DeHarte hopes he and the two staff members who quit after he was fired can get their jobs back.
On Jan. 10, the public was given a chance to vent over the meltdown in an open meeting at the gay community center.
By Rex Wockner
