History of Southern Poverty Law Center in Timeline
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is a U.S.-based nonprofit legal advocacy organization focused on civil rights and public interest litigation. Founded in 1971, it is known for monitoring and litigating against white supremacist and other hate groups. The SPLC classifies and lists hate groups and extremist organizations, providing resources for law enforcement and the public. Additionally, the SPLC promotes tolerance education programs aimed at reducing prejudice and promoting inclusivity. The organization's work has been praised by some for combating hate and extremism but also criticized by others regarding its classifications and perceived bias.
2 days ago : Southern Poverty Law Center Faces Federal Investigation Amid Fraud Allegations, Targeted Claims
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is under federal investigation, with DOJ indictments alleging fraud related to funding extremist groups. The SPLC claims the Trump administration is targeting them amidst the investigation, raising concerns about political motivations.
August 1971: SPLC Founded
In August 1971, the Southern Poverty Law Center was founded by civil rights lawyers Morris Dees and Joseph J. Levin Jr. as a legal clinic originally focused on issues such as fighting poverty, racial discrimination and the death penalty in the US. Dees asked civil rights leader Julian Bond to serve as president, a largely honorary position.
1971: SPLC Founded
In 1971, the Southern Poverty Law Center was founded by Morris Dees, Joseph J. Levin Jr., and Julian Bond as a civil rights law firm. The SPLC later transitioned into broader civil rights litigation.
1974: SPLC Sets Aside Money for Endowment
Starting in 1974, the SPLC set aside money for its endowment, anticipating that non-profits would face challenges relying on mail support due to rising postage and printing costs.
1979: Julian Bond Resigns as President
In 1979, Julian Bond resigned as president of the SPLC, a largely honorary position, but remained on the board of directors until his death in 2015.
1979: SPLC Begins Lawsuits Against KKK
In 1979, Morris Dees and the SPLC began filing civil lawsuits against Ku Klux Klan chapters and similar organizations for monetary damages on behalf of their victims.
1979: Klan Attacks and SPLC's Klanwatch
In 1979, the Klan initiated a summer of attacks targeting civil rights groups, starting in Alabama. In Decatur, Alabama, a violent clash occurred between Klan members and civil rights marchers, resulting in a black woman, Bernice Brown, being shot. The SPLC's newly established Klanwatch began tracking and litigating the Klan, which became a powerful weapon to fight against them. The FBI reopened their case against the Klan, and nine Klansmen were eventually convicted of criminal charges related to the Decatur confrontation of 1979.
1980: Brown v. Invisible Empire, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan
In 1980, the SPLC filed the suit Brown v. Invisible Empire, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in the USDC Northern District of Alabama on behalf of Bernice Brown and other black marchers who were violently attacked by the Klan in Decatur, Alabama in 1979.
May 1981: Injunction Against Klan's Harassment of Vietnamese Shrimpers
In May 1981, U.S. District Court judge Gabrielle Kirk McDonald issued a preliminary injunction against the Klan, ordering them to stop intimidating, threatening, or harassing the Vietnamese shrimpers. The SPLC also uncovered an obscure Texas law "that forbade private armies in that state". McDonald found that Beam's organization violated it and hence ordered the TER to close its military training camp.
1981: Lynching of Michael Donald
In 1981, teenager Michael Donald was lynched by the Klan in Mobile, Alabama. Morris Dees, as SPLC's co-founder, won the case against the Klan, providing Donald's family with restitution.
1981: Klanwatch Project Established
In 1981, the "Klanwatch" project was established and focused on monitoring KKK activities. Klanwatch was the precursor to the Hatewatch blog.
1981: SPLC Takes Action Against Klan Militia
In 1981, the SPLC took legal action against Louis Beam's Klan-associated militia, the Texas Emergency Reserve (TER), to halt racial harassment and intimidation directed at Vietnamese shrimpers in the Galveston Bay area. This included a cross burning, sniper fire, and arson attacks against their boats.
1981: Launch of Intelligence Report
In 1981, the SPLC's Intelligence Project began publishing the quarterly Intelligence Report to monitor radical right hate groups and extremists in the United States.
1982: Klan Terrorizes Bobby Person and Family
In 1982, armed members of the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan terrorized Bobby Person, a black prison guard, and his family. They also harassed and threatened others, including a white woman who had befriended blacks.
July 1983: SPLC Headquarters Firebombed
In July 1983, the SPLC headquarters was firebombed, destroying the building and records.
1984: Fundraising Report by Montgomery Advertiser
According to the Montgomery Advertiser, between 1984 and 1994, the SPLC raised about $62 million in contributions and spent about $21 million on programs.
1984: Person v. Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Lawsuit
In 1984, Bobby Person became the lead plaintiff in Person v. Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, a lawsuit brought by the SPLC in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, due to the continued harassment and threats during the litigation.
1984: Morris Dees Targeted by the Order
In 1984, Morris Dees became an assassination target of the Order, a revolutionary white supremacist group.
January 1985: Consent Order Against Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan
In January 1985, the court issued a consent order that prohibited the "Grand Dragon" of the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, Frazier Glenn Miller Jr., and his followers from operating a paramilitary organization, holding parades in black neighborhoods, and from harassing, threatening or harming any black person or white persons who associated with black persons.
February 1985: Klansmen Plead Guilty
In February 1985, Klansmen Joe M. Garner and Roy T. Downs Jr., along with Klan sympathizer Charles Bailey, pleaded guilty to conspiring to intimidate, oppress and threaten members of black organizations represented by SPLC.
1986: Legal Staff Resigns
In 1986, the entire legal staff of the SPLC, excluding Morris Dees, resigned as the organization shifted from traditional civil rights work toward fighting right-wing extremism.
1987: Publication of Hooded Americanism
In 1987, David Mark Chalmers published Hooded Americanism: The History of the Ku Klux Klan.
1987: SPLC Wins Landmark Case Against United Klans of America
In 1987, Dees and Michael Figures won a case against the United Klans of America for the lynching of Michael Donald. The SPLC secured a $7 million judgment for the victim's mother, leading to the United Klans of America's bankruptcy.
1987: Indictment of White Patriot Party Members
In 1987, five members of a Klan offshoot, the White Patriot Party, were indicted for stealing military weaponry and plotting to kill Dees. The SPLC has since successfully used this precedent to force numerous Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups into bankruptcy.
May 1988: Publication of "The Klan Basher"
In May 1988, John Egerton published his article entitled "The Klan Basher" in Foundation News, discussing the SPLC.
July 1988: Publication of "Poverty Palace"
In July 1988, John Egerton published an article entitled "Poverty Palace: How the Southern Poverty Law Center got rich fighting the Klan" in The Progressive, discussing the SPLC's finances.
November 13, 1988: Murder of Mulugeta Seraw
On November 13, 1988, in Portland, Oregon, three white supremacist members of East Side White Pride and White Aryan Resistance (WAR) fatally assaulted Mulugeta Seraw, an Ethiopian man who came to the United States to attend college.
1989: Civil Rights Memorial Unveiled
In 1989, the SPLC unveiled its Civil Rights Memorial, which was designed by Maya Lin.
October 1990: SPLC Wins Civil Case for Mulugeta Seraw's Family
In October 1990, the SPLC won a civil case on behalf of Mulugeta Seraw's family against WAR's operator Tom Metzger and his son, John, for a total of $12.5 million. The Metzgers declared bankruptcy, and WAR went out of business.
1990: SPLC began publishing annual census of hate groups
In 1990, the SPLC began publishing an "annual census of hate groups operating within the United States".
1990: Settlement in Brown v. Invisible Empire, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan
In 1990, the civil suit Brown v. Invisible Empire, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, which was filed in 1980, was settled. The settlement required Klansmen to pay damages, perform community service, and refrain from white supremacist activity.
1991: Publication of "Morris Dees and the Southern Poverty Law Center"
In 1991, John Egerton published a chapter entitled "Morris Dees and the Southern Poverty Law Center" in his book Shades of Gray: Dispatches from the Modern South, focusing on the SPLC.
1991: Teaching Tolerance Project Initiated
In 1991, the center's "Teaching Tolerance" project was initiated.
March 1994: SPLC Wins Judgment for Harold Mansfield's Family
In March 1994, the SPLC represented the family of Harold Mansfield, who was murdered in May 1991, in a civil case and won a judgment of $1 million from the neo-Nazi "Church of the Creator".
1994: Critical Report by Montgomery Advertiser
In 1994, the Montgomery Advertiser published an eight-part critical report on the SPLC, alleging that the SPLC exaggerated the threat posed by the Klan, discriminated against black employees, and used misleading fundraising tactics.
1995: SPLC Wins Judgment Against William Pierce
In 1995, The SPLC filed suit against William Pierce, head of the National Alliance, for his role in a fraudulent scheme to avoid paying money to Harold Mansfield's heirs and won an $85,000 judgment against him.
1995: Men Indicted for Planning to Bomb SPLC Headquarters
In 1995, four men were indicted for planning to blow up the SPLC headquarters.
1995: Montgomery Advertiser Wins Pulitzer Prize
In 1995, the Montgomery Advertiser won a Pulitzer Prize recognition for work that probed management self-interest, questionable practices, and employee racial discrimination allegations in the SPLC.
1995: Pulitzer Prize Nomination for Montgomery Advertiser Series
In 1995, the Montgomery Advertiser's series on the SPLC was nominated as a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Journalism for its probe of questionable management practices and self-interest at the Southern Poverty Law Center.
1995: Arson Convictions of Klan Units
In 1995, two Ku Klux Klan units burned down the historic Macedonia Baptist Church in Manning, South Carolina.
1996: NYT Article on SPLC's Tactics
According to a 1996 article in The New York Times, Morris Dees and the SPLC "have been credited with devising innovative legal ways to cripple hate groups, including seizing their assets."
May 1998: White Supremacists Arrested for Plotting Assassinations and Bombings
In May 1998, three white supremacists were arrested for allegedly planning a nationwide campaign of assassinations and bombings targeting Morris Dees and his Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama as well as the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, the Anti-Defamation League in New York, an undisclosed federal judge in Illinois and a black radio show host in Missouri.
July 1998: Attack by Aryan Nations Guards
In July 1998, security guards at Aryan Nations compound near Hayden Lake in northern Idaho, shot at Victoria Keenan and her son, with bullets striking their car several times, causing the car to crash. An Aryan Nations member held the Keenans at gunpoint.
July 1998: SPLC Wins $37.8 Million Verdict for Macedonia Baptist Church
In July 1998, the SPLC won a $37.8 million verdict on behalf of Macedonia Baptist Church against two Ku Klux Klan chapters and five Klansmen for burning down the historic black church in 1995. This was the largest-ever civil award for damages in a hate crime case.
1999: Construction of New Headquarters
The SPLC began building a new headquarters building from 1999 to 2001 after the previous one was firebombed in July 1983.
September 2000: SPLC Wins $6.3 Million Judgment Against Aryan Nations
In September 2000, the SPLC won a $6.3 million judgment against Aryan Nations for the July 1998 attack on Victoria Keenan and her son. As a result of the judgment, Richard Butler turned over the 20-acre compound to the Keenans, who sold the property to a philanthropist who donated the land to North Idaho College.
2001: Release of Year in Hate
In 2001, the SPLC began releasing an annual issue of the Intelligence Project called Year in Hate, in which it presents statistics on the numbers of hate groups in America.
2001: New Headquarters Completed
The SPLC completed building its new headquarters in 2001, following the firebombing of the previous building in July 1983.
2002: Webby Award for Tolerance.org
In 2002, Tolerance.org received a Webby Award for Best Activism.
2002: SPLC Sues Roy Moore Over Ten Commandments Display
In 2002, the SPLC and the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit (Glassroth v. Moore) against Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore for placing a display of the Ten Commandments in the rotunda of the Alabama Judicial Building. After defying several court rulings, Moore was eventually removed from the court and the Supreme Court justices had the monument removed from the building.
2002: Death of William Pierce
William Pierce, head of the National Alliance, who was found liable for a fraudulent scheme to avoid paying money to Harold Mansfield's heirs, died in 2002.
March 18, 2003: Illegal Immigrants Caught Trespassing
On March 18, 2003, two illegal immigrants has been caught trespassing on Joe Sutton's ranch, which led to the civil suit Leiva v. Ranch Rescue.
2003: Publication of Backfire, Backfire
In 2003, David Mark Chalmers published Backfire, Backfire: How the Ku Klux Klan Helped the Civil Rights Movement, in which he described the SPLC's role in the decline of the Klan.
2004: "Communing with the Council" Receives Award
In 2004, "Communing with the Council", an article written by Heidi Beirich and Bob Moser and published in Intelligence Report, won third place for Investigative Journalism in the Magazine Division from the Society of Professional Journalists.
2004: Second Webby Award for Tolerance.org
In 2004, Tolerance.org received its second Webby Award for Best Activism.
2004: Academy Award for Mighty Times: The Children's March
In 2004, the SPLC won an Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject for the film Mighty Times: The Children's March.
April 2005: SPLC Obtains Judgments Against Ranch Rescue Associates
In April 2005, the SPLC obtained judgments totaling $1 million against Casey James Nethercott, Joe Sutton, and Jack Foote, associates of Ranch Rescue, for the assault and illegal detention of two illegal immigrants in 2003. Nethercott's ranch, Camp Thunderbird, was seized to pay the judgment and surrendered to the two illegal immigrants.
November 23, 2005: Washington Post Fact Checks Crime Statistics
On November 23, 2005, The Washington Post published an article fact-checking crime statistics in a graph that was later retweeted by Donald Trump in 2015. The article stated that the FBI reports only 15% of white murder victims are killed by black perpetrators, countering the claim that 81% of whites are killed by black people.
July 2006: Assault on Jordan Gruver by Klan Members
In July 2006, five Klan members went to the Meade County Fairgrounds in Brandenburg, Kentucky, to hand out business cards and flyers advertising a 'white-only' IKA function. Two Klan members assaulted Jordan Gruver, a 16-year-old boy of Panamanian descent.
2006: Chapter on SPLC in Encyclopedia of American Civil Liberties
In 2006, a chapter on the SPLC was published in the Encyclopedia of American Civil Liberties, describing the history of the SPLC and its co-founder Morris Dees.
February 2007: Sentencing of Gruver's Attackers
In February 2007, Jarred Hensley and Andrew Watkins were sentenced to three years in prison for beating Jordan Gruver.
August 2007: Tom Metzger Continues Payments to Seraw's Family
As of August 2007, Tom Metzger was still making payments to Mulugeta Seraw's family as part of the judgment from the 1990 civil case won by the SPLC.
2007: Hatewatch Blog Created
Around 2007, the Hatewatch blog was created to monitor and expose activities of the "American radical right".
2007: People Jailed in Connection to Plots Against Dees and SPLC
By 2007, according to Morris Dees, more than 30 people had been jailed in connection with plots to kill him or to blow up SPLC offices.
2007: "Southern Gothic" Receives Award
In 2007, "Southern Gothic", an article written by David Holthouse and Casey Sanchez and published in Intelligence Report, won second place for Feature Reporting in the Magazine Division from the Society of Professional Journalists.
2007: Johnson Awarded Damages for Assault
In 2007, Billy Ray Johnson, a black, mentally disabled man who was severely beaten by four white males in Texas, was awarded $9 million in damages by a Linden, Texas jury. At a criminal trial, the four men were convicted of assault.
November 14, 2008: Verdict in SPLC Case Against Imperial Klans of America
On November 14, 2008, an all-white jury awarded $1.5 million in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages to Jordan Gruver against Ron Edwards, Imperial Wizard of the Imperial Klans of America (IKA), and Jarred Hensley, who participated in the attack.
2008: "Inside American Terror" Episode
In 2008, the National Geographic Channel television series included the episode entitled "Inside American Terror", which covered the SPLC's successful lawsuit against the Ku Klux Klan.
2008: SPLC Featured on National Geographic
In 2008, the SPLC and Morris Dees were featured on National Geographic's Inside American Terror, explaining their litigation strategy against the Ku Klux Klan.
2009: FBI Documents Used Anti-Catholic Terminology
In 2009, Republican Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley said he found at least 13 FBI documents produced between 2009 and 2023 that used what he called "anti-Catholic terminology" and relied on information from the SPLC.
2009: Publication of The White Separatist Movement in the United States
In 2009, sociologists Betty A. Dobratz and Stephanie L. Shanks-Meile wrote in their book The White Separatist Movement in the United States: 'White Power, White Pride!' that the SPLC's Klanwatch Intelligence Reports portrayed the KKK as more militant and dangerous than what they had observed.
2009: FAIR Argues SPLC Designation Used for Smearing
In 2009, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) argued that allies of America's Voice and Media Matters had used the SPLC designation of FAIR as a hate group to "engage in unsubstantiated, invidious name-calling, smearing millions of people in this movement."
2009: Concerns Raised About SPLC's Designation of Hate Groups
In 2009, the authors of the book 'The White Separatist Movement in the United States' said that the SPLC chose its causes with funding and donations in mind. Concerns have been raised that people and groups designated as "hate groups" by the SPLC were being targeted by protests or violence that prevent them from speaking.
November 2010: Class-Action Suit Filed Against Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility
In November 2010, the SPLC, along with the ACLU National Prison Project, filed a class-action suit against the owner/operators of the private Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility in Leake County, Mississippi, and the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDC). The suit alleged abuses of youthful prisoners due to under-staffing and neglect of medical care.
2010: Republican Politicians Criticize SPLC for "Character Assassination"
In 2010, a group of Republican politicians and conservative organizations criticized the SPLC in full-page advertisements in two Washington, D.C., newspapers for what they described as "character assassination" because the SPLC had listed the Family Research Council (FRC) as a hate group for alleged "defaming of gays and lesbians".
June 2011: SPLC Challenges Georgia House Bill 87
In June 2011, the SPLC, along with the ACLU, the Asian Law Caucus, and the National Immigration Law Center, filed a lawsuit challenging Georgia House Bill 87 (HB 87).
August 2012: Shooting at Family Research Council Headquarters
In August 2012, a gunman entered the Washington, D.C. headquarters of the Family Research Council (FRC) with the intent to kill employees, the gunman stated that he chose FRC as a target because it was listed as an anti-gay group on the SPLC's website.
2012: Dylann Roof's Google Search
In 2012, Dylann Roof searched Google for "black-on-white crime", which led him to be convinced that black men were a "physical threat to white people". This event contributed to the Charleston church shooting on June 17, 2015.
2012: MTC Awarded Contract for Correctional Facilities
In 2012, Management and Training Corporation (MTC) was awarded a contract for the East Mississippi Correctional Facility and two other facilities in Mississippi following the removal of GEO Group.
2012: Settlement of Walnut Grove Lawsuit
In 2012, Mississippi ended its contract with GEO Group as part of the settlement of the Walnut Grove lawsuit. The MDC moved the youthful offenders to state-run units, opened a new youthful offender unit at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, and agreed to not subject youthful offenders to solitary confinement.
May 2013: SPLC Files Class-Action Suit Against MTC
In May 2013, the SPLC, along with the ACLU Prison Project, filed a class-action suit against Management and Training Corporation (MTC), the for-profit operator of the private East Mississippi Correctional Facility, and the MDC, alleging failure to make needed improvements and maintain proper conditions for prisoners with special needs.
2013: Teaching Tolerance Cited
In 2013, "Teaching Tolerance" was cited as "of the most widely read periodicals dedicated to diversity and social justice in education".
2013: Criticism of SPLC by J.M. Berger
In 2013, J.M. Berger wrote in Foreign Policy that media organizations should be more cautious when citing the SPLC and ADL, arguing that they are "not objective purveyors of data".
2013: Injunction Blocking Provisions of HB 87
In 2013, a permanent injunction was issued, blocking multiple provisions of the Georgia House Bill 87 (HB 87), after the SPLC joined with other organizations to file a lawsuit challenging the law in June 2011.
2013: Donation of Intelligence Project Documentation
In 2013, the SPLC donated the Intelligence Project's documentation to the library of Duke University.
October 2014: SPLC Adds Ben Carson to Extremist Watch List
In October 2014, the SPLC added Ben Carson to its extremist watch list, citing his association with groups it considers extreme and his "linking of gays with pedophiles".
February 2015: SPLC Removes Ben Carson from Extremist Watch List and Apologizes
In February 2015, the SPLC removed Ben Carson from its extremist watch list, concluding its profile did not meet its standards, and apologized to him.
June 17, 2015: Charleston Church Shooting
On June 17, 2015, Dylann Roof perpetrated the Charleston church shooting. His manifesto revealed that a 2012 Google search for "black-on-white crime" led him to believe that black men were a physical threat to white people.
November 22, 2015: Trump Retweets Bogus Crime Statistics
On November 22, 2015, then-Presidential Candidate Donald Trump retweeted a chart from a neo-Nazi account displaying bogus crime statistics about black-on-white crime.
2015: Criticism of SPLC by Ken Silverstein
In 2015, in their book Culture Wars: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints and Voices, Roger Chapman and James Ciment cited the criticism of SPLC by journalist Ken Silverstein, who said that the SPLC's fundraising appeals and finances were deceptive.
2015: Class Certification Granted in MTC Suit
In 2015, the court granted the plaintiffs' motion for class certification in the SPLC's class-action suit against Management and Training Corporation (MTC) regarding conditions at the East Mississippi Correctional Facility.
2015: Death of Julian Bond
Julian Bond, civil rights leader and board member of the SPLC, passed away in 2015, having resigned from his largely honorary position as president in 1979 but remaining on the board until his death.
October 2016: SPLC Publishes "Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists"
In October 2016, the SPLC published its "Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists", which listed Maajid Nawaz and the Quilliam Foundation.
2016: Criticism of 2016 Report
In 2016, Jesse Walker writing in Reason.com, criticized the SPLC's 2016 Year in Hate report, questioning its reliability due to its focus on the number of groups rather than the number of people or the size of the groups.
2016: Publication of The Lynching
In 2016, Laurence Leamer's book, The Lynching: The Epic Courtroom Battle That Brought Down the Klan, was centered around the role played by Morris Dees as SPLC's co-founder, who won the case against the Klan which provided the family of teenager Michael Donald, lynched by the Klan in 1981 in Mobile, Alabama with restitution from the Klan.
2016: SPLC Growth after Trump Election
In 2016, the SPLC's "ranks swelled" and its "endowment surged" after U.S. President Donald Trump was elected, resulting in the hiring of 200 new employees.
April 2017: SPLC Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Tanya Gersh
In April 2017, the SPLC filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Tanya Gersh against Andrew Anglin, publisher of The Daily Stormer, accusing him of instigating an anti-Semitic harassment campaign.
August 2017: Defamation Lawsuit Filed Against SPLC by D. James Kennedy Ministries
In August 2017, the D. James Kennedy Ministries filed a defamation lawsuit against the SPLC for describing it as an "active hate group" because of its views on LGBT rights.
2017: Development of Six-Part Documentary Series
In 2017, the SPLC began developing a six-part series with Black Box Management to document the normalization of far-right extremism in the age of Donald Trump.
2017: SPLC's Financial Resources Approaching Half a Billion Dollars
The Los Angeles Times reported that by 2017, the SPLC's financial resources "nearly totaled half a billion dollars in assets".
February 21, 2018: Recommendation to Dismiss Lawsuit Against SPLC
On February 21, 2018, a federal magistrate judge recommended that the defamation lawsuit filed against the SPLC by the D. James Kennedy Ministries be dismissed with prejudice.
March 2018: SPLC Retracts Article and Apologizes to Journalists
In March 2018, the SPLC retracted an article by Alexander Reid Ross after complaints from journalists, including Max Blumenthal, that it falsely portrayed them as "white supremacists, fascists, anti-Semites, and engaging in a conspiracy with the Putin regime".
June 2018: Marc Thiessen's Criticism
In June 2018, conservative columnist Marc Thiessen, in a column for The Washington Post, said that the SPLC had lost its credibility and become a caricature of itself.
June 2018: SPLC Issues Apology to Maajid Nawaz and Quilliam Foundation
In June 2018, the SPLC issued an apology to Maajid Nawaz and the Quilliam Foundation for including them in its "Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists".
November 2018: Briefing of Law Enforcement Officials
In November 2018, FBI agents suggested using the SPLC website for information during a briefing of law enforcement officials in Clark County, Washington, concerning the Proud Boys.
2018: SPLC "hate group" designation controversy
In 2018, A Washington Post article mentioned that self-described men's rights groups such as A Voice for Men and Return of Kings were included as "hate groups" by the SPLC and rejected that labeling. The SPLC described them as "male supremacist".
2018: Criticism of SPLC Expands to Include Researchers on Hate Groups
In 2018, David A. Graham wrote in The Atlantic that while criticism of the SPLC had long existed, the sources of such criticism have expanded recently to include "sympathetic observers and fellow researchers on hate groups" concerned about the organization "mixing its research and activist strains".
2018: SPLC Files Suits on Incarceration Conditions
In 2018, The SPLC filed suits related to the conditions of incarceration for adults and juveniles.
2018: Hatewatch Report on Black-on-White Crime Rhetoric
In 2018, a Hatewatch report examined the origins and evolution of black-on-white crime rhetoric, concluding that misrepresented crime statistics have become a key propaganda tool for America's hate movement.
February 2019: Gavin McInnes Files Defamation Lawsuit Against SPLC
In February 2019, Gavin McInnes, former chairman of the Proud Boys, filed a defamation lawsuit against the SPLC over its designation of the Proud Boys as a "general hate" group.
March 2019: Bob Moser's Article in The New Yorker
In March 2019, following Morris Dees' dismissal, former SPLC staffer Bob Moser published an article in The New Yorker, "The Reckoning of Morris Dees and the Southern Poverty Law Center", describing his disappointment with what the SPLC had become.
March 2019: Morris Dees Fired
In March 2019, founder Morris Dees was fired from the SPLC.
April 2019: Karen Baynes-Dunning Appointed Interim President and CEO
In April 2019, Karen Baynes-Dunning, a former juvenile court judge, was appointed as interim president and CEO of the SPLC.
July 2019: Default Judgment Issued Against Andrew Anglin
In July 2019, a judge issued a $14 million default judgment against Andrew Anglin, publisher of The Daily Stormer, in the lawsuit filed by the SPLC on behalf of Tanya Gersh.
July 2019: SPLC Files Motion to Dismiss McInnes Lawsuit
In July 2019, the SPLC filed a motion to dismiss the defamation lawsuit filed against it by Gavin McInnes, former chairman of the Proud Boys.
September 2019: Lawsuit Against SPLC by Center for Immigration Studies Dismissed
In September 2019, the lawsuit filed against the SPLC by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) for designating the CIS as a hate group was dismissed for failure to state a claim.
September 19, 2019: Lawsuit Against SPLC Dismissed
On September 19, 2019, Judge Myron H. Thompson dismissed the defamation lawsuit filed against the SPLC by the D. James Kennedy Ministries, ruling that the SPLC's labeling of the group as a hate group is protected by the First Amendment.
December 2019: SPLC Staff Unionizes
In mid-December 2019, staff at the SPLC voted to unionize, with 142 in favor and 45 against.
2019: Four-Star Charity Navigator Ratings Since 2019
According to Charity Navigator's Historical Ratings, SPLC has earned four-star ratings since 2019.
2019: Morris Dees' Role Focused on Donor Relations
Prior to his departure in 2019, Morris Dees' role at the SPLC was focused on "donor relations" and "expanding the center's financial resources."
2019: SPLC Action Fund Independent Expenditures
The SPLC Action Fund spent more than $1,000,000 in independent expenditures in the 2019-20 election cycle.
February 2020: Margaret Huang Named CEO
In early February 2020, Margaret Huang was named as the new president and CEO of the SPLC.
April 2020: Emergency Request for Release of ICE Detainees
In April 2020, the SPLC and the ACLU made an emergency request for the "release of tens of thousands of people in ICE custody" if ICE could not provide protection for vulnerable inmates during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021: CharityWatch initially grades SPLC with B rating
In 2023, CharityWatch initially gave SPLC a grade of B based on its 2021 financials.
2022: SPLC Action Fund Forms PACs
In 2022, the SPLC's related 501(c)(4) organization, the SPLC Action Fund, formed two political action committees: New Southern Leaders federal PAC and the New Southern Majority federal Super PAC.
2022: SPLC's 2022 Revenue and Expenses
SPLC's 2022 revenue totaled $140,350,982, and its expenses amounted to $111,043,025.
January 2023: FBI Memo Identifies "Radical Traditionalist Catholics" as Potential Extremists
In January 2023, the FBI Richmond Field Office produced an internal intelligence memo identifying "radical traditionalist Catholics" as potential domestic violent extremists, relying on the Southern Poverty Law Center's designation of nine "radical traditionalist Catholic hate groups" as a key source.
February 2023: CharityWatch Downgrades SPLC's Rating
On 3 February 2023, CharityWatch downgraded SPLC from B to F because it had 7.3 years of available assets in reserve, it spent 68% of its funds on programs, and it cost $20 to raise $100.
2023: Charity Navigator Rating
As of 2023, Charity Navigator rated the SPLC four out of four stars, with an overall score of 99/100 for "Accountability & Finance" based on figures from Fiscal Year 2022.
2023: GuideStar Gold Seal of Transparency
As of 2023, SPLC has earned the GuideStar Gold Seal of Transparency, which is given to organizations that voluntarily share their financials and "highlight their commitment to inclusivity to gain funders' trust and support."
2023: FBI Documents Rely on SPLC Information
In 2023, Republican Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley said he found at least 13 FBI documents produced between 2009 and 2023 that used what he called "anti-Catholic terminology" and relied on information from the SPLC.
2023: New Southern Leaders PAC Spending
In 2023, the New Southern Leaders PAC spent more than $21,000, mostly going to the SPLC Action Fund.
2023: SPLC Report on Anti-LGBTQ+ Pseudoscience
In 2023, the SPLC released a report entitled Combating Anti-LGBTQ+ Pseudoscience Through Accessible Informative Narratives, which stated that far-right groups increasingly rely on pseudoscience to advance their cause.
2023: SPLC's Finances in 2023
In 2023, the SPLC's endowment was $749 million, its revenue was $170 million, and its expenses totaled $122 million.
June 2024: SPLC Lays Off 80 Employees
In June 2024, 80 people, representing 25% of the SPLC's workforce, were laid off, which the union characterized as a union-busting tactic.
September 2024: No-Confidence Vote on CEO
In September 2024, 92% of remaining SPLC staffers supported a no-confidence motion on the organization's CEO, Margaret Huang, demanding a reversal of mass layoffs and the hiring of a new CEO.
2024: SPLC Scrutinized After Charlie Kirk Assassination
In 2024, SPLC came under scrutiny after the assassination of Charlie Kirk brought renewed attention to its characterization of Turning Point USA, with a report entitled “The Year in Hate and Extremism 2024” that described the group as “A Case Study of the Hard Right in 2024.”
2024: SPLC's Finances in 2024
In 2024, the SPLC's revenue and expenses were both $129 million, and the group's endowment grew to $822 million.
July 2025: Margaret Huang Resigns, Bryan Fair Appointed Interim CEO
In July 2025, Margaret Huang resigned and was replaced by interim CEO Bryan Fair.
October 2025: FBI Ends Relationship with SPLC
In October 2025, FBI Director Kash Patel formally ended the bureau's relationship with the SPLC, stating that the SPLC’s “hate map” and related designations had been used to defame some mainstream groups and had been cited in connection with acts of violence.
October 2025: FBI Severs Ties with SPLC
In October 2025, FBI director Kash Patel announced the bureau was severing all ties with the SPLC, calling it a "partisan smear machine."
April 21, 2026: SPLC Indicted by Department of Justice
On April 21, 2026, the SPLC was indicted by the Department of Justice on charges related to fraud, with allegations of paying individuals to work inside hate groups and manufacturing extremism.
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