ST. PETERSBURG (AP) — The St. Petersburg branch of the NAACP has been ordered to cease operations.
A letter sent to the local board by the civil rights organization’s state officials last week cited irregularities in the branch’s fiscal practices and programming.
Local branch president Rev. Manuel Sykes defended the claims on Saturday and sent a letter appealing the directive.
Sykes told the Tampa Bay Times that he wants to be able to continue with service activities — including several ongoing community meetings and a GED program the branch operated — during the appeal process.
The letter noted the branch had not submitted reports in several years, processed memberships in the correct time frame and followed accounting rules.