A former executive with the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness is suing the nonprofit’s leadership, claiming that she was wrongfully terminated after filing a whistleblower complaint.
In a civil lawsuit filed this month, the former executive, who is not named and only identified as “Jane Doe”, alleged financial mismanagement by executive director Meg Zaletel, and claims Zaletel created a toxic workplace at the nonprofit. Doe further alleges that when she brought her concerns to the board of directors, she was fired. The 37-page complaint also names board chair Nathan Johnson and vice chair Jacob Lyons as defendants.
Zaletel did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday, nor did an attorney representing Jane Doe. A spokeswoman for ACEH declined to comment on the complaint, saying the nonprofit had not yet been served with the lawsuit. Johnson said he was recently made aware of the suit, but had not seen it.
The Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness is a major leader in addressing the city’s unhoused population, and has received numerous grants from the city. Zaletel has served as an Anchorage Assembly member since 2019, and became interim executive director of ACEH in 2021. She was hired as full-time director shortly after winning reelection to the Assembly in April 2022. Though the Assembly often deals with issues related to homelessness, Zaletel regularly recuses herself from those matters, in her capacity as an Assembly member.
In the lawsuit, Doe alleged that on numerous occasions, Zaletel had shouted at and berated staff, leading to a hostile and “depressing” workplace and to the resignations of several executive-level staff members. Doe expressed concerns that Zaletel’s service on the Assembly, as well as time spent campaigning for office, were “negatively impacting staff and operations.” Doe also alleged that Zaletel dismissed her concerns raised over a number of financial matters, including insurance compliance, billing for services and compliance with grants.
Doe alleged she was fired by Zaletel, Lyons and Johnson in May 2023, about a month after she relayed her concerns in an email to the ACEH board’s executive committee.
The lawsuit asks for Doe to be awarded more than $100,000 as compensation for her being fired, as well as various punitive damages and legal fees.
Zaletel’s Assembly seat is up for reelection this year, but she has opted not to run.
