A former Sierra Club Foundation director sues over internal racism that he says hinders its mission
January 31, 2026
A former Sierra Club Foundation employee is suing the nonprofit, alleging that normal workplace interactions got twisted into an unfair harassment complaint to force him out after he called out racial discrimination internally. Pedro da Silva, 29, says he was brought on to lead an ambitious green energy investment program at the foundation, which is the charitable arm for the longstanding nonprofit. But he claims the lack of internal diversity and leaders’ dismissive comments about Black employees ran contrary to the organization’s progressive image. A spokesperson for the Sierra Club Foundation says da Silva’s claims are “completely without merit” and that the decision to fire him was “carefully considered.”