Key facts
- Sigrun Olafsdottir, FSU chief operating officer, has departed amid allegations of racism.
- Sam Armstrong, FSU legislative affairs director, is accused of making inappropriate remarks about Sydney Sweeney's physique.
- Eight FSU staff members have left in the past year.
- The FSU has 50,000 members and raises funds for legal cases.
- The US state department previously allocated $5 million to the FSU's umbrella organization.
The Free Speech Union (FSU) is facing internal allegations of racism and sexually inappropriate remarks by senior staff, according to The Guardian. Chief operating officer Sigrun Olafsdottir reportedly departed after an employee alleged she made a racist remark about hiring. Legislative affairs director Sam Armstrong is accused of discussing actor Sydney Sweeney's "assets" during a staff meeting. These claims follow a period of internal turmoil, with eight staff members leaving in the past year. The FSU, founded by Conservative life peer Toby Young, has also faced scrutiny over its fundraising practices and a past US state department grant.