The departures include legal director Ken Falk, deputy legal director Gavin Rose, senior staff attorney Stevie Pactor and staff attorney Josh Bleisch. Together, they have spent about 50 years at the organization. At least two other staff members have also resigned, and four members of the 20-person board have left in recent months.

The upheaval comes as the organization prepares for Nikkita Oliver to take over as executive director. Oliver’s start date has been postponed while the board reviews staff concerns. Two employees filed human resources complaints alleging that Oliver questioned the impartiality of Jewish attorneys, described the ACLU as too restrictive in its civil-liberties approach, and said they wanted to move Indiana politically toward the center-left. The allegations are disputed, and Oliver says their comments were mischaracterized.

The board said it has hired an outside human resources consultant to review the situation, with findings expected in the coming weeks, and is arranging interim legal leadership. It said Oliver does not plan to adopt movement lawyering at the Indiana chapter or change its mission. The board also said it was unaware of formal HR complaints, while acknowledging staff reports and concerns are being reviewed.

Oliver, who uses they/them pronouns, said the complaints came from a small group of staff who had limited interaction with them and described the allegations as false. They said a remark about making Indiana “light red” referred to protecting every Hoosier’s right to vote, not partisan political activity. The board said Oliver’s start was delayed to support a smoother transition.

The dispute centers in part on how the ACLU should decide which cases to take. Oliver has worked with legal nonprofits and advocates an approach known as movement lawyering, in which lawyers collaborate with community groups and social movements. Some Indiana ACLU employees feared that approach could make broader policy goals or activist input outweigh the severity of civil-liberties violations, and could reduce litigation, including cases involving incarcerated people.

Staff also raised concerns about Oliver’s comments in a conversation about a Palestinian student’s case. Neil Hudelson, the organization’s philanthropy director, said Oliver’s questions suggested the legal team was biased against Palestinian applicants and said the affiliate was “too pure” on civil rights. Oliver said they cited the case as an example of a meritorious claim the affiliate had not taken, and denied intending to imply that attorneys were prejudiced.

Oliver also said they would have pursued other forms of advocacy in place of the ACLU’s role in a landmark First Amendment case involving a neo-Nazi group. Some staff members viewed that position as a departure from the organization’s longstanding defense of free-speech rights, including for unpopular or offensive speakers.

Tensions escalated at a Sept. 29 staff meeting, when several employees left after a board member characterized Oliver as the target of false allegations. Hudelson was fired the next day. The board said he was dismissed for misconduct and rejected claims that it retaliated against employees for raising concerns. Some staff members, by contrast, said the firing and the board’s handling of complaints undermined trust.

Rose, who has worked at the Indiana ACLU for 20 years, set a Feb. 15 effective date for his resignation to allow time for casework. Bleisch, whose final day is scheduled for Oct. 30, said he plans to return to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. The departures raise questions about the chapter’s capacity to continue its legal work during a contentious leadership transition.

The Indiana ACLU has been one of the state’s prominent legal challengers to Republican-led policies, including strict abortion laws, and has litigated on behalf of people in state custody. The board said it expects organizational change as leadership shifts and maintains that it remains committed to the affiliate’s mission.