CLEARWATER, Fla. — A week after Hope Villages of America told ABC Action News its CEO, Kirk Ray Smith, resigned after six years with the nonprofit, the I-Team is revealing more about what led up to his departure.
Hope Villages is a nonprofit based in Clearwater, that works to address hunger, housing and domestic violence in Pinellas County.
Every year, ABC Action News works to raise awareness to put an end to domestic violence and Hope Villages' shelter, The Haven, is a key resource. Upon learning a committee of volunteers resigned and alerted the board to concerns about Smith's behavior toward them, the I-Team looked into the issue further, given the nonprofit's role in the community and the population it serves.
Now former members of The Haven Advisory Committee, Devin Pappas, who volunteered for Hope Villages for 12 years, and Michelle Balon, who volunteered for the nonprofit for four years, shared their stories.
"It just hurts. It hurts all of us," Balon said of the volunteer committee of six women who all resigned.
Balon and Pappas said stepping away was not enough.
"I, myself, and then the committee, The Haven Advisory Committee, was on the tail end of a vulgar, profanity-laced, threatening, verbally-attacking tirade," Pappas told the I-Team.
The Zoom meeting Smith scheduled with the committee came after the nonprofit's biggest annual fundraiser in October, the "Faces of Domestic Violence Luncheon," where they raised $72,000.
"So we thought we were getting a thumbs up, thank you, congratulations on a successful event, and instead we were dumbfounded by the beratement that we got, and we really did not have any explanation," Pappas said.
“I was shocked, and I was appalled," Balon said of the meeting. "We weren’t even allowed to speak. For some time, during the call. We were just berated."
Balon said one of the hardest things she's ever done was to send in her resignation letter.
“We love what we do. We hate why we have to do it, but we do it from our hearts," Balon said.
In her letter to the board, Balon wrote that Smith "spoke down to them," "scolded" them, and "spoke at length regarding his extreme importance to Hope Villages. She said she would not submit herself to further "verbal attacks."
Balon told the I-Team on Dec. 7, “I hope the board will do the right thing for the sake of all of the people in the community who need this organization.”
Earlier in November, Hope Villages posted statements on its website from the board and Smith.
Smith said:
“What could have been a private matter has now been made public, and the reality of the situation that occurred has been distorted in the public eye. What is being said about me is not accurate. This is a case of these volunteers acting out and then their feelings being hurt when this was brought to light. Now those people have gone to the media to tarnish my character. This situation began within recent weeks a group of volunteers were emotionally abusive to HVA staff members. As the leader of the organization, when I addressed the repeated unacceptable behavior, including but not limited to body shaming female employees, they chose to go to the media as victims. These individuals have gone so low as to create threats to me emotionally and physically via a website and social media, truly harassing me personally and professionally. I have been forced to contact the NAACP and law enforcement to help stop these harmful attacks. As the CEO of HVA, I will continue to focus on our mission of helping those in the Tampa Bay Area facing serious issues such as hunger, homelessness, and abuse.”
Hope Villages stated the volunteer committee was "mistreating" its staff.
The Board of Directors wrote:
"We stand behind our CEO and Executive Management team and are evaluating the actions that have taken place. This will likely result in enhanced policies that protect staff and volunteers at HVA. Through Hope Villages of America, we are committed to promoting, protecting, and doing no harm to the organization. We provide hope restoration with dignity to those in need through innovative programs and services. Our organization focuses on helping those in the Tampa Bay Area who are facing hunger, homelessness, and abuse and that is what we will continue to do for decades to come.”
In response to Smith's statement, Pappas said, "He is actually saying the things that he has done to us and other people in the community. He is saying that our committee has done to his staff.”
When the I-Team asked if there was any truth to the accusations made in Smith's statement, she said, "Of course not."
In the weeks that followed, more letters were sent to the board, including one from five women who worked for Smith when he was at a nonprofit in Massachusetts. The former employees said that Smith "has, once again, been accused of verbal assault and harassment of his employees," adding, "We hope that you will make the right decision to put an end to this pattern of this hostile, destructive behavior."
Included were their statements from a lawsuit filed in 2019 by three former employees of Hope Villages, which was known as Religious Community Services (RCS) at the time. The suit alleged a "hostile work environment because of gender" in which Smith "demeaned" and screamed at female staff and made sexually inappropriate comments.
Smith's attorneys argued a count against him for "hateful acts directed at plaintiffs" was "meritless" and "designed to harass, humiliate, and embarrass" Smith, saying it "should be dismissed with prejudice."
There was a confidential settlement earlier this year.
The day after meeting with former volunteers, the I-Team contacted Hope Villages to talk with Smith. Hours after requesting an interview, a spokesperson said Smith had resigned.
In an email to the I-Team, Hope Villages said Smith was resigning "to pursue other opportunities" and that Chief Operating Officer Melinda Perry was appointed as the interim CEO.
The I-Team called Smith directly to give him every opportunity to respond. Smith agreed to meet and talk on camera before his attorney said there would be no comment at this time.
In a statement, board members thanked Smith for his service and said Hope Villages "remains fully committed to those facing hunger, serving homeless families, supporting those in need of affordable housing, and addressing abuse."
