Layoffs, Votes of No Confidence and a Leader on Leave at One of the Nation’s Oldest Environmental Groups

Inside Climate News · By Lee Hedgepeth · last updated July 25, 2025 – 4:04 PM

After mounting pressure from staff, managers and volunteers, the Sierra Club put executive director Ben Jealous on leave this month.

By Lee Hedgepeth

One of the nation’s largest, oldest and most influential environmental groups is in turmoil at a particularly critical time, as the federal government rolls back landmark environmental protections that advocates fought for decades to achieve.

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