The city’s controversial El Paso Zoo director, Joe Montisano, has resigned after being on administrative leave since September.
Montisano was placed on administrative leave mid-September after he was involved in a slew of controversies in recent years. Gary Lunsford is serving as interim until a permanent replacement is hired.
“We can confirm that Joe Montisano is no longer with the City of El Paso. He resigned,” Laura Cruz-Acosta said in an emailed statement to El Paso Matters. “We want to take this opportunity to wish Mr. Montisano the best in his future endeavors.”
The job will be open for recruitment, Cruz-Acosta said. As of Friday morning, the position is not posted on the city’s Human Resources website.
Montisano could not be reached for comment.
Montisano was hired in 2019. During his six-year tenure, he was involved in multiple controversies, including a contentious separation from a former nonprofit that supported the zoo, the loss of its Association of Zoos and Aquariums accreditation and a wrongful termination and sexual harassment lawsuit by a former zoo employee.
The city plans to reapply for the reaccreditation after completing capital projects.
The wrongful termination lawsuit filed Dec. 2, 2024, is scheduled to go to a jury trial April 20, 2026, El Paso County court records show.
The lawsuit, filed by Anahí Chavez Villegas, alleges in part that Montisano and human resources employee Tracy Chavarria were aware that her then-supervisor John Kiseda was sexually harassing her and did nothing to take appropriate or immediate corrective action against him.
Another lawsuit filed against the city, Montisano and City Manager Dionne Mack by the former El Paso Zoological Society was withdrawn by the society in January 2025.
The society and city parted ways after the City Council chose not to renew its long-time contract in May 2024. A contentious public back-and-forth followed with the nonprofit filing the lawsuit alleging its relationship with the city began to deteriorate after it raised multiple concerns about Montisano including sexual harassment allegations and reimbursing expenses on his personal credit card.
The post El Paso Zoo Director Joe Montisano resigns after months on administrative leave appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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