23rd District state Rep. Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton, was fired July 15 from the nonprofit Civil Survival she started in 2015.

An Open Letter to the public on the organization’s website from its board of directors Aug. 1 says the move was made due to Simmons’ repeated violations of policies and conduct standards.

For example, the letter alleges she verbally berated an employee, which violates the harassment and retaliation policies.

The directors’ letter says they did not make the decision lightly. They paid for two third-party investigations to evaluate the facts. They reject any allegations of discrimination against Simmons, saying it’s been nothing but fair.

Like Simmons, the board is made up of members who have been incarcerated. Its mission is to help people in similar situations.

In a separate Open Letter on the website from the staff, it says, “Over the past year Tarra Simmons has harmed our staff and undermined our work in the community.”

For example, after receiving race equity feedback, she threatened the jobs of staff and to cut funding for the organization, the letter says. They also allege that she used her position as a state lawmaker to exclude formerly incarcerated staff from advocacy spaces.

Their letter lists three major accomplishments: provided legal representation in 1,095 cases, eliminating $3 million in criminal legal debt clients could not afford; organized a legislative advocacy day in Olympia; and held three mural events to publicize restoration of voting rights for criminals.

In response, Simmons reportedly told KUOW that, “The information presented in these letters is either blatantly false, deceptive or grossly misrepresentative of the actual events.” Simmons has said she plans to sue for wrongful termination. She was placed on administrative leave a year ago. Simmons was unavailable on deadline for further comment.