San Diego's Sierra Club chapter was suspended by the National Sierra Club board on Friday for persistent infighting among the local chapter’s leaders.
The vote was overwhelmingly for the four-year suspension. An official in the the organization's national office said 13 of the 15 National Board members voted to suspend the local chapter because of ongoing conflicts and division among the local chapter leaders.
The local chapter represents about 12,000 Sierra Club members in San Diego.
National Club officials sent chapter members a letter last month describing, in general terms, the issues that faced the local club. The San Diego organization is the fifth oldest Sierra Club Chapter in the nation. The chapter was established in 1942. The suspension allows the national board to dismiss the local chapter's volunteer board. Replacements get appointed. And the local chapter gets back the right to elect its own leaders after the suspension ends.
Suspensions are rare, but two other chapters have received that punishment in recent years. One in Central California and one in Florida.
