Haggis resigns from Artists for Peace and Justice amid sexual misconduct allegations

TORONTO – Canadian filmmaker Paul Haggis has resigned as chairmain of the board of his non-profit organization Artists for Peace and Justice after four women accused him of sexual misconduct.

A statement from the organization says it accepted his resignation on Jan. 4.

Susan Sarandon and Ben Stiller have been appointed as the new board co-chairs.

Haggis, who hails from London, Ont., launched the organization in 2009 to help the poorest communities in Haiti with education and medical care.

Last week, a civil lawsuit charging the two-time Oscar winner with raping a publicist prompted three additional women to come forward with their own sexual misconduct accusations against Haggis.

He has denied the original rape allegation in a counter-complaint to the lawsuit, and said the accuser and her lawyer had demanded a US$9-million payment to avoid legal action, which he characterized as extortion.

Artists for Peace and Justice holds an annual gala in Toronto every September.

The organization has raised millions of dollars for Haiti and built Port-au-Prince’s first free public high school as well as a post-secondary institution.

“The work of Artists for Peace and Justice, so essential to the present and futures of thousands of children in Haiti, has been a part of our lives for years,” Sarandon and Stiller said Wednesday in a statement.

“As supporters of APJ’s mission to foster economic growth and empower local communities, we are honoured to be joint co-chairs of the board of directors for APJ to help steward the mission of the organization into the future.”

The statement adds that the organization thanks Haggis “for his vision and years of dedication to the cause.”

Haggis’s lawyer did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Wednesday.

– With files from the Associated Press.

— Follow @VictoriaAhearn on Twitter.