Stephanie Williams, Worcester's chief diversity officer, has departed the city's NAACP wants answers

WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS — Stephanie A. Williams, the chief diversity officer, is stepping down, the city said late Friday afternoon. By the end of the weekend, Worcester NAACP President Fred Taylor had lashed into the city government, stating in a statement that his group is "agitated and angry" that the city's chief diversity officer is departing again.

Williams' resignation after less than a year and a half on the job, according to Taylor, looks to be part of a pattern in the city, citing past chief diversity officers Malika Carter and Suja Chacko's limited tenures.

"Our community's hopes are once again being frustrated, denied, and delayed until another time," Taylor wrote. "Worcester's Black and Brown communities invested in this process and position are now left wondering why these smart, intelligent, and dedicated women hired with such glowing qualifications leaving after such a short time?"

Williams is moving on in her career, according to a press release issued by the city on Friday.

Williams was the first to occupy the office after Augustus raised it to be part of his executive cabinet in November 2020.

Augustus' executive order to remove structural and institutional racism in municipal administration was ascribed to her, according to the city.

She had been able to get an online diversity recruiting recruitment tool and had started the process of establishing the city's internal racial equality audit program.

The city has announced that it will begin the search for a new chief diversity officer.

In the meantime, Assistant City Manager Eric D. Batista will be in charge of day-to-day operations, according to the city.

"That was our effort to fix something that we knew wasn't quite working," Fred Taylor said.

Taylor stated in the NAACP statement that the group believed the city was now on the correct path with Williams' selection. Local groups and people, including Black Families Together, the NAACP, and at-large City Councilor Khrystian King, lobbied for placing the post into the city manager's cabinet in the aftermath of George Floyd's death, he said.

Williams' resignation after less than a year and a half on the job, according to Taylor, looks to be part of a pattern in the city, citing past chief diversity officers Malika Carter and Suja Chacko's limited tenures.

City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. did not respond to Taylor's inquiries concerning Williams' limited stay or the shorter tenures of her predecessors in an emailed response to the NAACP statement Monday but encouraged the NAACP to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the tercentennial committee.