Appraisal Institute executive ousted following sexual harassment claims

Appraisal Institute has removed its vice president, Craig Steinley, following multiple allegations of sexual harassment and growing pressure from within the organization.

The decision, made during an emergency board meeting on Wednesday, comes less than two weeks after a New York Times investigation revealed that several women accused Steinley of groping them without consent.

The company stated that the vote was made “acting in the best interest” of the organization, which represents approximately 16,000 members and plays a central role in training real estate appraisers across all 50 US states.

The fallout follows a wave of internal backlash. Steinley stepped back from public duties last week and did not attend the Leadership Development and Advisory Council conference in Washington, DC, a key annual event for professionals in the field. That move failed to satisfy many within the Institute, leading to an online petition with over 600 member signatures demanding his resignation. At least four local chapters also submitted letters urging leadership to take action.

On social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn, members debated how to respond. Some welcomed the board’s decision.

“Appraisal Institute must take these complaints seriously moving forward,” said Elaine Liz-Plowman, a Mississippi appraiser and former national board member. “This is the first step in the right direction for the Appraisal Institute and its members.”

Others cautioned against treating Steinley’s removal as the end of the problem.

“While Craig Steinley’s removal may appear justified to some given the recent public challenges, this represents a troubling moment for our membership community,” said Ryan Hlubb, a commercial appraiser in Pennsylvania and former board member. “The organization is poised to fall backward, driven by a controlling class of ‘good old boys’ determined to unravel any semblance of progress.”

The decision also comes amid multiple lawsuits against both Steinley and the Appraisal Institute.

Former CEO Cindy Chance filed a lawsuit in Illinois state court earlier this month, alleging wrongful termination and sexual harassment. She claimed that Steinley grabbed her buttocks, made inappropriate comments about her body, and referred to her as his “girlfriend.” The complaint names both Steinley and the Institute, which is headquartered in Chicago.

Read next: Lawsuits pile up against luxury real estate brokers over sexual assault allegations

Steinley said the claims are “false,” and pointed to an ongoing independent investigation, which he said “presented clear evidence” that the accusations are “unsubstantiated.” He accused the Institute of choosing “a course of action that appears more concerned with reputation management and internal power consolidation than with truth or fairness.”

The Institute stated that the allegations in Chance’s lawsuit “will be addressed in a court of law.”

Chance welcomed the board’s decision, saying in a statement, “I hope it gives others the courage to speak up about past abuse and misconduct — and to demand a full overhaul of governance at the Appraisal Institute.”

Another former employee, Alissa Akins, also filed a lawsuit, alleging she was wrongfully terminated from her role as director of education and publications after exposing errors in certification testing materials. She claims Steinley was directly involved in her dismissal.

The Institute previously paid $412,000 to settle a harassment claim made by a former employee in May 2024, according to The Times.

Steinley, who served as the 2023 president of the Appraisal Institute and was in his second term as vice president until his removal, has held several leadership roles in the appraisal industry.

In a letter to members, Appraisal Institute president Paula Konikoff acknowledged the broader damage caused by the controversy.

“I know this has been a painful period for our members and our wider community,” she wrote. “This had become a matter of the well-being and trust of the Appraisal Institute as an organization, which is greater than any one individual.”

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