Community radio station KDHX and a group of station volunteers settled a lawsuit Friday ahead of a trial that was set for Tuesday in St. Louis Circuit Court, according to a statement issued by the station’s public relations firm and attributed to both sides.
Critics have sought since September to seat three volunteers on the KDHX board. Station leaders have now agreed to seat two of them: Kip Loui and Courtney Dowdall. Darian Wigfall will not be seated at this time.
Station volunteers and Double Helix Corp., the governing body of KDHX, released a joint statement announcing the settlement and stating that they will make no additional comment.
Gary Pierson, president of the station's board, had previously argued the volunteer-led meeting at which attendees chose three new board members had no legal standing. Pierson attended it briefly but was cut off by the meeting leader after stating that the meeting was improper because it had not been properly called and he was not leading it.
Friday’s settlement is not likely to put an end to more than a year of conflict between some station supporters and KDHX leaders, who pulled more than 20 DJs off the air in September 2023 after dismissing four longtime DJs earlier in the year.
Pierson said at the time that most of the dismissals were necessary because the DJs’ continued involvement with the station would not be consistent with a renewed focus on diversity, equity and inclusion.
“We’ve been pushing our organization in broader and more inclusive directions. It’s clear that some of our community are not on board with that,” Pierson said in September.
The station weathered claims of racism and sexual harassment in 2019, including accusations aimed at Executive Director Kelly Wells, who still holds that position.
Many KDHX veterans would like more of a say in how the station is run, and they complain about a diminished station presence in the local music community. Station volunteers say that problems stem in part from a top-down management style practiced by Wells and that station leaders have little appetite for dissent or interest in feedback. Recent board meetings have included no opportunity for public comment.
Statements from KDHX leaders have touted increased diversity among the DJ ranks, which have been replenished after a period when the weekly show schedule was dotted with vacancies.
The nonprofit station has 31 new radio programs, 50 new volunteers and 400 new donors in the past year, according to Friday’s statement.
