๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ
We are pleased to announce that on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, the Local Complaints Committee (LCC) at the Office of the Collector North Goa, Government of Goa completely dismissed the charge of sexual harassment against Video Volunteers Co-Founder Stalin K. This finding is in total alignment with the results of a separate, exhaustive independent investigation by the Video Volunteers Board of Directors, and together both findings completely vindicate Stalin K, and dispel all allegations and accusations against him.
The Board’s in-depth, independent, external investigation was conducted between November 2018 and June 2019 in accordance with best governance process. The Board, after asking Stalin to step aside while a thorough investigation was conducted, reached out through external investigators to a broad array of people both within the organization, and outside of it who posted on social media. The findings from this external and independent investigation and our decision were released in a memo to the VV staff, the community correspondents and several other stakeholders in July of 2019.
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ง๐จ ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐๐จ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐จ๐ซ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ, and based upon that finding the Board reinstated Stalin K to resume work as of July 2019, which he did.
The Board held off making the findings of the independent investigation public out of respect to the single complainant and the LCC’s due process under the POSH Act in India.
Now, in July of 2020, the LCC has rendered the same judgement as the Board. There are no pending matters against Stalin in any forums – statutory or otherwise. ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐
๐๐จ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐.
The Board carried out its extensive, independent investigation as part of its commitment, and governance responsibility, to assure a safe and respectful work environment for all Video Volunteers employees. The organization has been working diligently with the Board to strengthen all governance policies and procedures. In the year since Stalin’s return, the organization has been running very smoothly -- without incident or complaint.
We would like to thank Co-Founder Jessica Mayberry for her steadfast leadership of Video Volunteers and the staff and Community Correspondents of VV for steering the organization so ably through these challenging times.
We thank Stalin K for his endless resilience, cooperation, patience, courage and dedication to due process. We stand firm in our conviction that justice has been served and he and Video Volunteers can now continue to make a positive and impressive impact on India, and the world