Latest news with #PaulaKonikoff
New York Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
V.P. of Real Estate Group Voted Out After Harassment Allegations
The vice president of the nation's key trade group for real estate appraisers, Craig Steinley, has been removed from his role, less than two weeks after a New York Times investigation exposed allegations from women that he had groped them without their consent. At an emergency meeting on Wednesday, the national board of the Appraisal Institute voted to oust Mr. Steinley, 64. The 28-member board came to its decision after more than three hours of debate. Mr. Steinley, in a statement sent by his lawyer, called the decision to remove him 'a deliberate act of retaliation driven by internal politics,' and promised to 'vigorously defend myself' over what he described as 'baseless claims.' In an article in The Times, multiple women said they had been harassed or subject to inappropriate conduct by Mr. Steinley. The Appraisal Institute paid $412,000 in May 2024 to a former employee to privately settle her sexual harassment claim against him and the organization, The Times found. Paula Konikoff, president of the Appraisal Institute, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Craig Capilla, the lawyer for Mr. Steinley, confirmed by text message that his client had been voted out by a two-thirds majority. Last week, Mr. Steinley agreed to step away from public duties related to his position and skipped the Leadership Development and Advisory Council, an appraisers' conference in Washington, D.C., that is a cornerstone of the professional year for appraisers across the country. On Facebook, WhatsApp Groups and LinkedIn, some members of the Appraisal Institute protested Mr. Steinley's move to step away from the organization, saying that skipping public duties wasn't enough. More than 600 members of the organization, which serves as a guidepost for the 70,000 real estate appraisers working in all 50 states, added their names to a petition on demanding Mr. Steinley's resignation. At least four local chapters sent letters to the Appraisal Institute and its board of directors, and in WhatsApp groups and across social media, debates over how to move forward played out. Mr. Steinley denied the accusations in written responses through Mr. Capilla earlier this month. 'Mr. Steinley wholly denies any allegations of any unwanted touching or harassment. It simply did not occur,' Mr. Capilla wrote in an email. After Wednesday's vote, several members were quick to celebrate Mr. Steinley's ouster. 'The Appraisal Institute must take these complaints seriously moving forward,' said Elaine Liz-Plowman, an appraiser in Mississippi who has served on the organization's national board. 'This is the first step in the right direction for the Appraisal Institute and its members.' The Appraisal Institute, which has 16,000 members and plays a significant role training those who measure the worth of property in the United States, is now facing multiple lawsuits related to Mr. Steinley's alleged conduct. A former employee, Alissa Akins, is suing the Appraisal Institute for wrongful termination, claiming the organization fired her from her position as director of education and publications after she exposed potential errors in testing materials and that Mr. Steinley was instrumental in ordering her exit. Earlier this month, in a lawsuit filed in Illinois state court, Cindy Chance, the group's former chief executive, said that Mr. Steinley grabbed her buttocks without her consent, made lewd comments about her body and referred to her as his 'girlfriend.' She has named both Mr. Steinley and the Appraisal Institute, which is based in Chicago, in her suit. 'The allegations in that suit are false,' Mr. Steinley said in his statement on Wednesday. He added that an independent investigation into Ms. Chance's claims was 'well underway,' which he said presented 'clear evidence' that her claims were 'unsubstantiated.' 'Despite these findings, the Institute has chosen to move forward with a course of action that appears more concerned with reputation management and internal power consolidation than with truth or fairness,' he added. Ms. Chance called the decision to remove Mr. Steinley a first step toward accountability. 'I hope it gives others the courage to speak up about past abuse and misconduct — and to demand a full overhaul of governance at the Appraisal Institute,' she said in a statement. Some leaders of the group on Wednesday cautioned members not to celebrate too much, and stressed that Mr. Steinley's behavior had not occurred in a vacuum. Ryan Hlubb, a commercial appraiser in Pennsylvania who has served on the national board, said deep-seated issues remain in the organization. 'While Craig Steinley's removal may appear justified to some given the recent public challenges, this represents a troubling moment for our membership community,' he said. 'The organization is poised to fall backward, driven by a controlling class of 'good old boys' determined to unravel any semblance of progress.' Mr. Steinley is described by his former colleagues as charismatic and flirtatious. He has held a number of appraisal board positions and executive appointments, served as president of the Appraisal Institute in 2023 and until Wednesday was in his second term as the group's vice president.
New York Times
12-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
V.P. of Real Estate Group Will Step Away After Harassment Claims
The vice president of the nation's key trade group for real estate appraisals has agreed to step away from his duties, after a New York Times investigation exposed allegations from women that he had groped them without their consent. A statement posted on LinkedIn on Monday said the vice president, Craig Steinley, would immediately withdraw from making public appearances as an officer of the Appraisal Institute. The statement, which was posted by the group's president, did not say that Mr. Steinley, 64, had resigned. Multiple women said they had been harassed or subject to inappropriate conduct by Mr. Steinley, and The Times revealed that the Appraisal Institute paid $412,000 to a former employee to privately settle her sexual harassment claim against him and the organization. Mr. Steinley denied the accusations in written responses through his lawyer, Craig Capilla. 'Mr. Steinley wholly denies any allegations of any unwanted touching or harassment. It simply did not occur,' Mr. Capilla wrote in an email. In an interview on Monday, Mr. Capilla stressed that Mr. Steinley had not forfeited his position. 'He has not resigned,' he said. 'This is still an ongoing issue. I don't think final decisions have been made.' Representatives for the Appraisal Institute did not respond to emails and calls on Monday requesting further clarification about Mr. Steinley's status. But on Monday, Paula Konikoff, the Appraisal Institute's president, posted the statement about his departure from public appearances. She said in the statement that Mr. Steinley 'makes this choice out of consideration for and in the interest of not being a distraction to the important and ongoing work of the organization.' The 28-member board of directors at the organization, Ms. Konikoff added, has formed a task force in response to the Times investigation. That task force, she wrote, will work with outside legal counsel 'to guide an effort to consider policies, procedures, protocols and actions' before considering 'what steps to take.' It was unclear whether Mr. Steinley will continue to collect a salary. The vice president of the Appraisal Institute, which is a nonprofit trade group, makes around $100,000 a year, according to its most recent tax records. The Appraisal Institute has 16,000 members and wields considerable influence over how the worth of residential and commercial property throughout the United States is determined. It produces a variety of the testing materials used to help train and certify both residential and commercial real estate appraisers. (Another female former employee, Alissa Akins, is suing the Appraisal Institute for wrongful termination, claiming the Appraisal Institute fired her from her position as director of education and publications after she exposed potential errors in testing materials.) The private sexual harassment settlement to a former employee was made in May 2024. Last week, in another legal claim, Cindy Chance, the group's former chief executive, said that Mr. Steinley grabbed her buttocks without her consent, made lewd comments about her body and referred to her as his 'girlfriend.' She has filed a lawsuit in Illinois state court against both Mr. Steinley and the Chicago-based Appraisal Institute. Mr. Steinley, an appraiser who is based in South Dakota, is described by his colleagues as charismatic and flirtatious. He has held a number of appraisal board positions and executive appointments and is currently in his second term as the group's vice president. Many members responded to Ms. Konikoff's LinkedIn post with frustration and anger. Claire Aufrance, an appraiser in North Carolina who served on the Appraisal Institute's national board from 2019 to 2022, called for Mr. Steinley's 'immediate resignation or termination.' 'It's time for Craig to step down or be removed for the good of the Appraisal Institute,' she said. 'The board's continued inaction in the face of repeated member and staff complaints and concerns is verging on complicity, if we are not already there.' Within hours of the Times investigation being published a petition began circulating on calling for Mr. Steinley's removal. As of Monday afternoon, it had at least 260 signatures.
