Marc Dosogne has resigned as chief executive officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County, the Board of Directors announced Monday.
Dosogne has been on administrative leave for the past two weeks after writing an email to staff that some considered culturally insensitive. The local NAACP had demanded that Dosogne be fired.
"We believe this is what's best to move forward and return our focus to our mission of improving the lives of Manatee County's young people," said Mike Moschella, chairman of the clubs' board of directors, in a news release. "Therefore, we accept Marc's resignation and wish him well."
Beth Work, who has 34 years of experience working with the Boys & Girls Club, will continue as interim CEO while the board conducts a search for a new CEO.
Dosogne told the Bradenton Herald earlier this month he was deeply apologetic for his choice of words in the memo and that he has apologized to Manatee NAACP officials, who have asked for his dismissal, and to his staff.
"I wouldn't even think of resigning because I believe in my mission here," Dosogne said. "I have dedicated my life to this."
In the memo that was sent to staff with management responsibilities, Dosogne stated that he hopes future Boys & Girls Clubs hires "have stayed out of trouble, stayed clear of drugs, abuse of alcohol and tobacco and not have had children as teenagers," according to the Bradenton Herald.
Dosogne also stated he frowns upon hiring applicants who "come in with a lot of tattoos, face piercing, dreadlocks on guys, people wearing baseball caps, sweats or baggie shorts or anyone provocatively dressed."
Dosogne told the Herald that focusing on dreadlocks and teen pregnancies was wrong.
"I now better appreciate the diverse cultural differences that we have here in Manatee County," he told the newspaper. "I also understand now the many reasons why people wear dreadlocks, which can include health and religious beliefs.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County serves more than 6,000 young people at seven locations (Daughtrey Elementary School, Orange Ridge-Bullock Elementary School, Harllee Middle School, Lincoln Memorial Middle School, Southeast High School and the traditional DeSoto and Palmetto Clubs).