Her reasons for the resignation, shockingly enough, is the deteriorating climate in WMFR in recent months. She reported that certain people (no names given but hopefully more will develop on who these individuals were) have ceaselessly harassed and libelled her. This situation has made her resignation inevitable.
Here email, in French as reported in the Mailing list (copied here just in case it is deleted or hidden to limit bad press).
Bonjour à tous,
Je vous écris pour vous faire part de mon départ de la direction de Wikimedia France.
En quatre ans, beaucoup de chemin a été parcouru : l’association n’est plus ce qu’elle était en 2013, elle a pris une envergure considérable. Du point de vue du fonctionnement quotidien, il y a aujourd’hui une équipe salariée structurée, des locaux fonctionnels, une organisation des partenariats, une gestion conforme à ce qui est attendu par le Commissaire aux Comptes… A tel point que nous sommes en passe d’avoir la reconnaissance d’utilité publique. Durant ces années, nous avons obtenu de beaux succès tels que les labellisations Ideas et Essec, l’identification et la valorisation de notre action par les pouvoirs publics (PGO, jury entrepreneur d’intérêt général, différents agréments des Ministères…), le développement des groupes locaux et d’actions d’envergure nationale (Mooc, Lingua Libre, Ma commune Wikipédia…)
Je suis particulièrement fière de ce qui a été accompli en termes de plaidoyer au niveau des politiques mais aussi du grand public pour faire progresser la connaissance libre.
Ce bilan positif a été malheureusement entaché par le climat délétère de ces derniers mois. Quelques personnes, pour des motivations obscures et peu compatibles avec l’intérêt collectif de notre action, n’ont eu de cesse de me calomnier et de me harceler. J’ai souhaité défendre le statut de salarié dans notre organisation car tout salarié chez Wikimedia France doit, ou dois-je dire, devrait, bénéficier des mêmes droits que n’importe quel salarié en France.
Compte tenu de cette situation de violence gratuite et incessante, mon départ devenait inévitable. Je vais maintenant pouvoir me consacrer à d’autres projets.
Je veux cependant saluer ici des personnalités aux qualités exceptionnelles. J’ai eu l’honneur d’être soutenue par des personnes courageuses et intègres, qui alors qu’elles n’avaient aucun intérêt personnel à s’élever contre le harcèlement dont je faisais l’objet, n’ont pas hésité à creuser la réalité de la situation et des enjeux des uns et des autres et à s’opposer à l’acharnement insensé dont je faisais l’objet. Je garderai précieusement en mémoire ce que certains membres du CA ou certains salariés ont fait. Il n’est pas utile de les citer, ils se reconnaîtront. Ils sont d’autant plus méritants, qu’en faisant ce choix, certains se sont fait harceler en retour.
C’est avec la sensation d’avoir accompli tout ce qui était en mon pouvoir, que je quitte cette structure et lui souhaite le meilleur pour l’avenir.
Nathalie Martin
Roughly translated in English thanks to Google translate:
Hello everyone,
I am writing to let you know of my departure from the management of Wikimedia France.
In four years, a long way has been traveled: the association is no longer what it was in 2013, it took a considerable scale. From the point of view of day-to-day operations, there is now a structured salaried team, functional premises, an organization of partnerships, management in line with what is expected by the Auditor ... So much so that we are in the process to have recognition of public utility. During these years we have achieved great successes such as Ideas and Essec labeling, the identification and valorization of our actions by the public authorities (PGO, jury entrepreneur of general interest, various approvals of the Ministries ...), development local groups and actions of national scope (Mooc, Lingua Libre, Ma commune Wikipédia ...)
I am particularly proud of what has been accomplished in terms of policy advocacy but also of the general public in advancing free knowledge.
This positive balance has been unfortunately tainted by the detrimental climate of recent months. Some people, for obscure reasons and not very compatible with the collective interest of our action, have not ceased to calumniate me and to harass me. I wanted to defend the status of employee in our organization because any employee at Wikimedia France should, or should I say, have the same rights as any employee in France.
Given this situation of gratuitous and incessant violence, my departure became inevitable. I will now be able to devote myself to other projects.
However, I would like to welcome some outstanding personalities. I had the honor to be supported by courageous and upright people who, although they had no personal interest in speaking out against the harassment I was subjected to, did not hesitate to dig the reality of the situation and of the stakes of each other and to oppose the insane stubbornness with which I was the object. I will keep in mind what some members of the Board or some employees have done. It is not useful to quote them, they will recognize each other. They are all the more deserving, because by making this choice, some have been harassed in return.
It is with the feeling of having accomplished all that was in my power, that I leave this structure and wish it the best for the future.
Obviously Ms. Martin wanted to leave with some dignity and without burning bridges but this resignation outlines how completely useless the Wikimedia Foundation and the James Alexander led Safety and Security team are about protecting their editors and employees. When they cannot even help an established and high level individual like this, what kind of support can the regular editors expect? The WMF like to talk a big game about improving the environment and making it safe for women to edit and they allow this sort of conduct to go unchecked.
This disgraceful development is entirely the fault of the WMF, James Alexander and the so called Safety and Security team and all editors should see this as the sign that it is that editing the Wikimedia projects isn't a safe environment. It is hostile, it is violent and editors should edit at their own risk!
