The head of Americans for the Arts has taken a voluntary leave of absence from the organization as the group investigates complaints about a hostile work environment, the news site ARTnews reported.

CEO Robert Lynch has led AFTA for 35 years and currently is a member of President-elect Joe Biden's arts and humanities group in the transition team. The leave of absence comes after several former AFTA employees wrote a series of online posts alleging a culture of harassment at the organization and retaliation against staff who spoke up about the problem, according to ARTnews.

In a statement on its website, AFTA's board of directors said that Lynch believed "the most appropriate course of action now is to allow the investigations to proceed without distraction and in the best interests of the mission of the organization and the field."

The board has brought in Keisha-Ann G. Gray, a partner with the law firm Proskauer Rose, to lead the investigation. Board members also authorized an independent review of workforce/workplace policy and procedures, which will include reviewing policies related to diversity and inclusion. Jay Hewlin of the Hewlin Group will lead the review.

In addition, the board's Cultural Equity Committee will create a Cultural Equity Task Force "to address perceived gaps and deficiencies in communication, accountability, and measurement of our program work related to field operations, particularly around cultural equity."

In Lynch's absence, Ret. U.S. Army Brigadier General Nolen Bivens, a past board member of AFTA, will lead the group as interim CEO.

Americans for the Arts members include nonprofit and for-profit organizations, government agencies, artists, consultants and educators, according to its website. AFTA currently serves "more than 6,000 individuals representing over 1,500 organizations across the United States," the website says.

AFTA reported revenue of nearly $12 million in its tax filing for 2018. Lynch was paid $736,594 in 2018.

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