Douglas Elliman Realty has fired president and chief executive Scott Durkin just days after former president and chairman of the board Howard Lorber suddenly retired from his position.
Durkin, who was fired Friday, stepped into the chief executive role last week after Lorber's sudden exit. Prior to that, he spent nine years with the firm, joining in 2015 as an executive vice president after serving over 20 years at the Corcoran group.
The realty firm did not list any reason for Durkin's firing in a filing with the Security and Exchange Commission. However, it is believed to be related to Lorber's sudden exit, which the Wall Street Journal said came after he was pushed by the board to quit after an internal investigation uncovered a sexually charged work culture.
That said, the company noted in a filing that Lorber's exit "was not due to any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company's operations, policies or practices."
READ ALSO : All Three Alexander Brothers Are Now Being Accused of Rape Following Explosive New Lawsuit
Douglas Elliman's Work Culture
The board formed a special committee to investigate the firm's work culture after its two star brokers, Tal and Oren Alexander, were accused of sexually assaulting two women. After the reports of those accusations broke, more women stepped forward to accuse the Alexander brothers of sexual assault. Other women also filed additional suits against the real estate agents.
A New York Times investigation, specifically, uncovered nine additional victims of the Alexander brothers. The outlet also noted that five real estate professionals claimed they had either reported the assaults to Douglas Elliman executives or were told about them by company higher-ups. However, they claimed the firm continued to support the Alexander brothers.
One of the women said she approached Lorber and told him she believed Oren drugged her at a party in 2010. None of the women who spoke to the outlet mentioned Durkin.
It was not immediately clear whether Durkin had knowledge of the sexual assault incidents.
What Was Their Response?
In response to allegations outlined in The Times' investigation, Douglas Elliman spokesman Stephen Larkin said the woman did not gill a proper form of an official complaint to human resources and instead raised the concern "casually and confidentially" to Lorber.
On the other hand, Durkin's attorney John Singer said his client had "no role whatsoever" in the company's work culture. He also revealed that they planned to contest Durkin's firing.
