NAACP leader chided women made harass claim

The NAACP’s national president chastised women who recently went public with a sexual harassment claim and he was reluctant to swiftly deal with the accusations against a former North Carolina officer, according to emails and recordings obtained by The Associated Press.

The emails also indicate that he knew about the complaint two years before he says he did.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson spoke in October at the state convention of the North Carolina conference, which was roiling because less than two weeks earlier, a former employee had held a news conference where she accused her supervisor of sexual harassment. With no news reporters present, he urged members not to further air the accusations in public, according to recordings provided to The Associated Press by a person who sought anonymity for fear of retribution.

Two people who attended the meeting confirmed Johnson’s statements. The emails were provided by a person who also sought anonymity because of fear of retribution.

Jazmyne Childs, a former youth and college director for the state chapter, had made a public statement on Sept. 25 saying she had endured unwanted physical contact and harassment starting shortly after her employment began in 2017. She identified the harasser as her supervisor, the Rev. Curtis Gatewood, who was running for president of the state chapter at the time of the news conference.