Patrick Branco Ruivo, director of the company operating the Eiffel Tower, will leave his position by the end of the year, days after a huge controversy erupted over arrangements made during a visit by a Hindu religious delegation.
The announcement comes weeks after a delegation linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha visited the Paris landmark. The visit triggered an internal controversy after female employees were reportedly asked to stay away from parts of the delegation's route and, in some cases, were replaced by male colleagues.
According to Le Figaro, the director of Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, Ruivo informed employees of his decision to quit on Tuesday.
In a message to employees, Ruivo said he had not instructed staff to remove or replace women during the visit. "At no point did I give instructions to remove or replace women along the route of this delegation," he said, while acknowledging that women were nevertheless removed from certain areas.
The controversy emerged after around 100 BAPS members visited the Eiffel Tower as part of events surrounding the opening of a major Hindu temple in France. Staff representatives said female employees were instructed not to cross certain areas while the delegation was present.
The incident prompted workers to strike, leading to the Eiffel Tower being closed for a day. Staff representatives described the arrangements as humiliating and contrary to principles of equality between men and women.
The SETE subsequently said the conditions imposed during the visit should not have been accepted and were inconsistent with the company's values and its commitment to gender equality and neutrality.
Ariel Weil, president of SETE and mayor of Paris Centre, said managers had been "a bit overzealous" in responding to the delegation's request. He said neither he nor the director general had been aware of the arrangements and described the incident as unacceptable. An internal investigation was ordered to establish how the decision was made.
BAPS had said the visit had been arranged with the Eiffel Tower team at the start of normal opening hours to minimise disruption to other visitors. The organisation also apologised to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced, while claiming that, to its knowledge, no one had been denied access to the monument.
The controversy has also drawn criticism from French political leaders, who have questioned why female employees were treated differently during the delegation's visit.
Ruivo's departure now adds a fresh development to the dispute, while the internal inquiry continues to examine responsibility for the arrangements that led to the controversy.
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