WP,pg1: Harassment Claims Roil Habitat for Humanity

[DeepModem Mom]

Harassment Claims Roil Habitat for Humanity
As Founder's Supporters Rally, New Allegations Emerge

By Alan Cooperman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 9, 2005; Page A01


AMERICUS, Ga. -- Since Habitat for Humanity fired its founder and president, Millard Fuller, for sexual harassment six weeks ago, his supporters throughout the giant nonprofit housing organization have campaigned to reinstate him.

Calling the accusation unsubstantiated and the punishment excessive, Fuller's allies have created a Web site and an online petition signed by more than 3,600 donors and volunteers who work in many of Habitat for Humanity's 2,300 independent affiliates around the world. They have conducted weekly prayer vigils in Americus, organized symbolic work stoppages at Habitat construction sites and urged major contributors to withhold gifts.

Yesterday, Habitat's international board of directors unanimously reaffirmed Fuller's dismissal at the beginning of a three-day meeting in Cape Town, South Africa. Despite that vote, supporters said they will continue to push for Fuller's rehiring.

But the outpouring of sympathy for Fuller, 70, has also had a reverse effect. After years of silence, several former employees and close associates of Fuller -- including three ordained ministers -- have come forward to say they have inside knowledge of numerous prior allegations of sexual misconduct and workplace harassment by him, beginning before he founded Habitat for Humanity here in 1976....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18460-2005Mar8.html?sub=AR

[Boomer]

1. Can she really be this naive?

>> Dale Young, a longtime Habitat volunteer in Bedford Hills, N.Y., said she has been with Fuller "in dozens of situations, with dozens and dozens of women" and has never seen any inappropriate behavior. <<

Evidently Ms. Young thinks that exposure to ANY woman will trigger uncontrollable impulses that will make a harasser fondle them in public with witnesses in attendance.

It couldn't possibly be true that Fuller, like most people, is only attracted to some women and has the foresight to approach them in private. Like during a long car trip.

Reminds me of the defenders of Michael Jackson who seem to think he's innocent because he didn't molest every single one of the thousands of children who met him.