Imad Hamad poses with summer interns in photo he posted May 29.
The local chapter of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee is still feeling the fallout from sexual harassment allegations against its director Imad Hamad, who stepped down in November in the midst of the controversy.
The latest turn: The Michigan chapter has canceled tonight's annual banquet because people planned to come and protest the way the organization has dealt with sexual harassment, the Detroit Free Press reports.
The controversy began when several woman accused Hamad of sexual harassment. In November he stepped down, while issuing this statement: "I think the unfounded allegations hurt the organization. I felt that my dedication and the time I committed to the cause for the past 17 years compelled me to take this step to help ADC refresh, revive."
In the meantime, the national president of the organization, Warren David, was fired for criticizing the organization for not doing a better job in addressing the sexual harassment allegations, the Free Press reported. He said that the organization needed to be more open in dealing with the problem of sexual harassment.
Several people came to David's defense. Then a group announced that it planned to come to the banquet and protest the sexual harassment mess.
Rather than deal with all of that, the Michigan chapter canceled the banquet. -- Allan Lengel
