CARBONDALE, Ill (WSIL) -- There are calls for an executive at the Survivor Empowerment Center to step down while employees are making the first steps towards unionizing.
On Saturday, current and former employees held a gathering at the old train depot on town square before going on a march chanting 'No More Silence'.
About two dozen people showed up including city councilwoman-elect and current employee Nancy Maxwell who spoke about her experiences at the center.
Georgia De La Garza, an organizer for Our Revolution Illinois, accuses the center of harboring a toxic culture where workers are afraid to speak about their issues. De la Garza says employees have 'meticulously documented behaviors there'.
Hostile working environments have led to an 80% turnover in Rape Crisis Service staff in the past six months according to De La Garza.
De la Garza recalled a moment during a board meeting last Monday where some employees of color were offended by the board president's comments.
"The president of the board stood up and pointed at them and said 'you people'," De la Garza said. "A lot of these people... were pouring their heart out and she said 'you're like a lynch mob'. We were just floored."
De La Garza says about 'half the people' at the meeting walked out of the room after the board president's alleged comments.
There are also calls for the center's executive director, Jennifer Gulley, to step down. De La Garza says Gulley is 'not an innocent person by any means'.'
"[Gulley] needs to take responsibility and the board needs to take responsibility for who they have appointed as exeuctive director," De La Garza said.
In a statement to News 3 Saturday morning Gulley said:
"I was completely blindsided by this because so many of our staff are gaining ground professionally and personally and are happy with the work that we're doing and we've moved forward in so many ways. We were recently awarded a grant for $250,000 to upgrade our shelter. So we're doing really well. This really was surprising. I guess I could say more after the fact because at this point I am really just emotionally hurt from these allegations. I'm not mad at anyone involved and I hope them the best in life and otherwise."
Gulley told News 3 she would reserve further comment until Monday or Tuesday. De La Garza says employees will begin the unionization process Monday.
"That's our Survivor Empowerment Center," De La Garza said. "We need it to be a sanctuary."
