Black Girls Code founder Kimberly Bryant has been fired by her board

The founder of Black Girls Code was suspended from the organization eight months ago.

Black Girls Code believes that the decision to remove Ms. Bryant as CEO and as a board member is in the best interests of the organization. Since its inception, BGC has been focused on moving forward and expanding its success.

Bryant is accusing Heather Hiles of wrongful suspension and conflict of interest. Bryant said that her job as a board member and CEO was terminated one day later. According to a statement provided by Bryant and her attorney, it was an unfortunate culmination of a hostile takeover initiated by Board Member Heather Hiles of the nonprofit.

The suit also names Wells Fargo and other board members. Hiles and Brown-Philpot did not reply to the request. The timing of the Board's decision had nothing to do with Bryant's lawsuit.

Bryant and the board of directors had a tense time. Bryant was denied access to her email in December of 2016 because of her suspension from the organization.

Bryant was put on administrative paid leave to review complaints against her.

The board was accused of creating a toxic work environment and misgendering a staff member. The board said that it would set up a special committee to investigate the allegations, but did not give a specific time frame.

The independent investigation cost the nonprofit almost $2 million in legal fees according to Bryant. Over the course of eight months, 26 witnesses, including Bryant, were interviewed. In her presentation to the Board on Friday, August 12th, Bryant said that none of the witnesses substantiated the claims against her. The board formed a special committee in response to claims made by former employees of Black Girls Code.

The lead investigator, Adam, did not reply by the time of publication. The investigation's findings were not commented on by a Black Girls Code spokesman.

Hiles said thatBryant will move on from CEO and board member of BGC. The entire community wishes her good fortune.

Bryant said that she had been removed without cause or an opportunity to vote. She is entitled to a vacation and healthcare assistance in California, where BGC is based, but she did not receive any of them. She said that it sounded like retaliation.

A Black Girls Code spokesman said that Bryant was paid her accrued vacation in accordance with California law.

Five former employees of Black Girls Code were interviewed in December. The people spoke to the website out of fear of being retaliated against. The board decided to look into the company culture after a summer of rapid turnover, with many individuals citing Bryant as a key reason for leaving the nonprofit.

According to the former employees, Bryant's leadership style was to blame for staff turnover. They say that when Bryant was there, she would berate managers within meetings, calling them incompetent and urging them to go back to school if they couldn't deliver.

The precariousness of the situation was discussed by one former employee. This person knows how it is perceived to take down a black person. That is not what we want to achieve. We want the organization to be led by people who can continue the growth of our work.

The individual said they left the company partly because they consulted a therapist. This person said that working for an organization that is trying to change how you are treated is a particular kind of betrayal.

Bryant has received a lot of support from black women.

According to Martine Pierre, founder of edtech cannabis company Cannalution, if this situation happened to a white, male leader, the outrage would bedeafening.

Those who worked for Bryant should be heard, Pierre said. If the allegations are true, a fair review process would have alleviated any previous or current issues within the company. She was terminated in a gross way. No warning was given. There wasn't an investigation.

Aniesia Williams, the founder of the communication services company AW+CO, said that the way Bryant was treated was unacceptable and that many Black entrepreneurs can relate to what he is going through. The way Bryant was removed sends a bad message to the young girls the foundation has impacted over the years, according to her.

The use of her daughter's face on the website is a slap in the face according to Williams. Black women can't make mistakes without fear of being taken away from them.

The founder of HBCU 20 x 20 felt that Bryant's suspension was a disservice to the Black venture community. She said that Bryant's removal means that the world needs more Black women making a global impact.

Tinson said that this was a missed opportunity to move the organization forward in a positive way for the Black girls it serves.

She hopes that there will be a positive outcome for everyone.

The guiding light for the future of the communities they serve is the vision of the founder. The Black girls she saw the future in were disrupted by the decision to abruptly suspend and then fire her.