Red Cross president ousted over relationship

NEW YORK – Plagued by turmoil at the top, the American Red Cross ousted its president, Mark Everson, on Tuesday for engaging in a “personal relationship” with one of his subordinates. He took the job just six months ago.

The congressionally chartered charity, America’s foremost emergency responder, has now had five leaders in the past six years including the interim chief named to fill in for Everson.

Everson, a former corporate executive and commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, assumed the Red Cross post on May 29 as the charity sought to restructure itself and bolster its public image following sharp criticism of its response to Hurricane Katrina.

In a statement, the Red Cross said its board of governors asked for and received Everson’s resignation, effective immediately, after learning within the past two weeks of the relationship with a woman on the Red Cross staff. The woman was not identified.

“The board acted quickly after learning that Mr. Everson engaged in a personal relationship with a subordinate employee,” the statement said. “It concluded that the situation reflected poor judgment on Mr. Everson’s part and diminished his ability to lead the organization in the future.”