Ellen Johnson

From Philosopedia

Johnson, Ellen (1955— )

From 1995 to 29 April 2008, Johnson headed American Atheists, the organization that was founded in 1963 by Madalyn Murray O'Hair. It works to defend Atheists' civil liberties and advocates the separation of church and state.

Johnson, a "second-generation Atheist," who had been active in the organization since 1978, in 1998 met with the Office of Public Liaison for the Clinton White House to discuss the subject of giving Atheists a “place at the table” in the discussion of issues of concern to our nation’s Atheists. Also, she testified before the United State Commission on Civil Rights on the unconstitutional expression of religion in public schools.

In 2001 Johnson met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington, DC, to discuss the unlawful imprisonment of Dr. Younis Shaikh, a Rationalist, on the charge of blasphemy.   He has now been released from prison. That same year, she was made an Honorary Associate of the Rationalist International.   She also serves as an Honorary Board Member of “Scouting For All,” a nationwide group that seeks to end discrimination against Atheists and gays within the Boy Scouts of America. In addition, she is Executive Director of the Godless Americans Political Action Committee, a nationwide initiative to support and elect Atheists to public office

Since 1994, she has co-hosted a cable television program, “The Atheist Viewpoint," one that now airs on over 45 cable systems throughout the United States.   She is also a frequent guest on national radio and TV shows, including the Fox Network’s “Hannity & Colmes,” “Heartland” with John Kasich, “The O’Reilly Factor,” MSNBC’s “Scarborough Country,”   “The Larry King Show,” a Barbara Walters Special, and C-SPAN’s prestigious public affairs program, “Washington Journal.”

In 2002, Johnson was the Chairperson of the Godless Americans March on Washington Task Force, which on November 2, 2002, brought together thousands of Atheists, Freethinkers, Secular Humanists and other nonbelievers for an unprecedented display of unity in our nation’s capital.  On Veterans' Day, November 11, 2005, Johnson was the Chairperson of the Atheists In Foxholes rally which was held in our nation's capital.

On 29 April 2008, American Atheists announced that

Following over 13 years of outstanding service to American Atheists and the cause of State-Church Separation, Ellen Johnson is leaving her post as President of the organization. Her tenure in this position was marked by some of the most amazing and historic events in our movement’s history. She stepped in following the tragic disappearance of our founder, Madalyn Murray O’Hair and her family, and oversaw the relocation of the American Atheist Center and Charles E. Stevens American Atheist Library and Archives (CESAALA) to New Jersey. She organized the Godless Americans March on Washington, and brought together our nation’s diverse and sometimes fractious community of Atheists, Freethinkers, Secular Humanists and other nonbelievers. She testified twice before the National Commission on Civil Rights, and made hundreds of media appearances on prime time and cable news TV programs. Ellen also mobilized Atheists and other secularists throughout the nation to speak out on the vital First Amendment issues of our time. And with all of this, she managed to coordinate the hectic daily activities here at the American Atheist Center.

In the spirit of obtaining all that she (and any other Atheist) can from one life the elegant, energetic and outspoken Ms. Johnson will now focus her passions on anew adventure. Just what that might be we do not yet know. We know, however, that it will be something splendid!

However, according to Ruth N. Geller of the Institute for Humanist Studies in an e-mail response from Johnson was told she was "fired."

The Instigator of Johnson's Leaving, Bart Meltzer, Resigns from American Atheist Board of Directors

To all board members, directors, staff, and others,

(30 May 2008) I have already announced my resignation as the director of state and regional operations, effective July 1st, 2008.

This is my formal resignation from the board of directors of American Atheists, Inc. and United Secularists of America. I can no longer serve on the boards because of the events that have transpired leading to the departure of Ellen Johnson.

Specifically, I was the instigator to Ellen’s departure and caused irreparable damage to the organization and pain and suffering to Ellen and her family. Because of my own self interests, I tried to stop Ellen from doing the Bill Moore walk. Yes, I was concerned for Ellen’s safety but initially I also refused to work with Ellen to try and make this walk as safe as I could. I just wanted Ellen not to do this walk and I refused to listen to her plea to help make this walk safe.

That’s what Ellen asked me to do when we first discussed this on the morning of March 6th, 2008. “Help me make this walk safe” was Ellen’s exact request. I replied that there was no way to make a two week walk safe. Maybe there was no way to eliminate all the risks, but making it a little safer is exactly what I wound up doing anyway. So I should have just done that from the start. The Bill Moore walk WAS a noble cause for Atheism and American Atheists, albeit a dangerous one. However, it did not turn out to be as dangerous as I thought it would.

The other (not so minor) issue is that I tried to “Control” Ellen. I incorrectly assumed that I had that privilege because of our relationship, I was on the board, and this was a safety issue. I tried to force Ellen not to do something she had already made plans to do. I don’t know that I did this intentionally to control Ellen but I did it just the same. Intentional or not, it was wrong.

Some of us have control issues sometimes and I am one of them. Sometimes we need to let things go because the consequences are just not worth it.

Ellen said she would tell me of an event she was planning if I did not tell anyone about it. I agreed, and when she told me what it was, I didn’t honor my word in my effort to stop her. I informed the board about Ellen’s intention to do the walk On March 6th, in the afternoon. This event was to be a surprise at the 2008 convention. The members on the board that Ellen previously discussed this with last year seemed very positive about the Bill Moore walk at that time so there was no reason for Ellen to think that making this a surprise at the convention would be controversial. She thought most everyone would would think this was a great idea. And who on the board would have thought differently if I didn’t intervene?

I told Ellen’s sister about the Bill Moore walk on March 6th after I emailed the board earlier. I relayed all of the concerns I had for the walk to her and got her on board with trying to stop Ellen. My concerns were authentic, I did not just make those up. But I painted those concerns with a scary brush to Ellen’s sister. My concerns were about a worse case situation. I scared the shit out of Ellen’s sister and caused animosity between the two of them.

Then I caused Ellen more emotional stress by threatening to tell her children that she could be shot in Alabama if she went through with this walk. I had actually planned on informing her children of what Ellen was going to do to enlist their help to stop Ellen, but even then it was still a threat to Ellen. I wound up not emailing the kids because Ellen said she would call off the walk that evening on March 6th, but I placed a huge emotional strain on Ellen that she may not have recovered from.

On April 9th, 2008 a special meeting of the board was held. During this meeting I drafted a motion to try and stop Ellen from doing the walk. While I won’t post the motion here in it’s entirety, it basically said the board directs Ellen to immediately stop any effort with the walk, and that she will be suspended and then dismissed from her position and from the board if she does the walk. There was some other verbage as well but that was the gist of it. It was my idea to use the board to stop Ellen from doing this walk. It was my motion that put the process in place to fire her if she did the walk. And it was my effort to have the meeting on April 9th in order to do all of that. Once I drafted the motion to fire Ellen, I asked another board member to introduce it so my name would not be in the minutes.

The motion did not pass. It did not even come to a vote. It was tabled and then sent to Ellen a few days later in an effort to stop her from doing the walk. She was told that another meeting would be held on April 16th to vote on the motion if she did not stop her efforts.

On the meeting of April 16th, 2008, I made the motion to bring the previous motion (to fire Ellen) off the table and kill it. That motion carried. I realized after the first meeting that I could not vote to fire Ellen and relayed this to the board. I never wanted Ellen to be fired, I just wanted her to call off the walk.

During the April 29th meeting, another board member introduced a motion to fire Ellen. The motion carried. The vote was 5 to 3 in favor of firing her. Although I voted to retain Ellen, that ball had already been rolling downhill for some time and I could not stop it.

I started that ball rolling. I could have worked with Ellen from the beginning, but I was too worried and upset myself about the walk and reacted without thinking about the consequences. Had I waited a few days I would have reacted with more ration. Additionally, I was (and still am) upset about the issues between Arthur Brenner and myself. I stand by my post about Arthur on the nogod blog. I blame Ellen for not resolving those issues and (in my opinion) taking sides with Arthur against me. This also affected my judgment with the Bill Moore walk. It should not have, but it did.

As much as I am angry with Ellen about my conflicts with Arthur Brenner, I have no doubt that Ellen acted in what she thought was the best interest for the organization. I disagree with how Ellen handled the situation and just what is best for the organization regarding Arthur, but I have no doubt about her sincerity.

So from the beginning, it was my actions that led Ellen to be defensive about this walk and several other issues that grew into major disagreements between Ellen and other board members. Several members on this board jumped right into my plans to stop Ellen for their own reasons. Prior to my efforts, only Conrad and I thought it was a bad idea to do the walk. Now several people on the board were against Ellen doing this walk. There is no way that I can be removed from this equation since I started it. It was my fault and I accept full responsibility for my part.

There was some discontent among board members with some of Ellen’s policies prior to that but it was my actions that were directly responsible for placing everyone in a position that made it impossible to work things out. Had I acted rationally, the outcome would very likely have been much different. The differences that existed between Ellen and others on the board at the time could have been worked out amicably over time.

Now I know that several members on the board will say that Ellen acted on her own. Well she did but her decisions were influenced by my drastic actions and the following actions of the board (whose actions were also influenced by me). We already discussed the mistakes made by Ellen and the board. EVERYONE made mistakes. Especially me. Now it’s time to correct those mistakes. I’ll deal with my own mistakes. Hopefully, that will create a path for everyone else to deal with their own mistakes in turn.

First, I apologize to the board of directors, state and regional directors, volunteers, and the members of American Atheists for allowing my relationship with Ellen to affect my judgment and create a rift between Ellen and the board that could not be resolved. Had I not created that rift, the existing issues would have had a much better chance to be resolved amicably. My actions directly caused undue stress to the board, the members, Ellen Johnson, and her family.

I apologize to Ellen’s family for betraying their trust that I would take good care of their mother, sister, and daughter. Although I was concerned about Ellen’s safety, I failed to look out for her best interests and my actions resulted in causing this situation. I specifically apologize to Ellen’s sister for telling her the other night that “I did nothing to her sister” when I clearly did everything. Ellen’s sister was right. Ellen’s sister (and son) have been an invaluable asset with their employment to American Atheists. American Atheists would be lucky to have them as employees should they choose to stay.

And most of all, I apologize to Ellen. I betrayed your trust in that I used our relationship and my position on the board to try and force you to stop something that you had every right to do. No matter how much I was concerned with safety (valid reasons or not), I should have accepted your initial offer to work with you to make this safe from the beginning. Instead, I tried to control you and stop you. That was the wrong thing to do. You deserve better than that.

(See entry for Herbert A. Tonne.)

{The New York Times, 26 January 1997; Time, 10 February 1997}