By 
A top Levi Strauss & Co. executive has left the apparel giant, citing clashes with colleagues, including Chief Executive Chip Bergh, over her public views regarding COVID-19 restrictions in schools.
Jennifer Sey, who led the Levi’s
LEVI,
-1.42%
brand as president since 2020, said she resigned Sunday after more than 20 years at the company. Sey, 52, has tweeted frequently and did media interviews to discuss her opposition to school closures through the pandemic.
In an essay posted online Monday, Sey wrote that she was “condemned for speaking out” and that Levi Strauss executives urged her to limit these public statements. She wrote that in a recent meeting with Bergh, he told her that it was untenable for her to stay.
In a statement Monday, Levi Strauss confirmed Sey had resigned and said it had initiated a search for a new Levi brand president. It appointed another executive, Seth Ellison, to temporarily fill the role.
Sey, a mother of four children, wrote that her advocacy was done as a private citizen. She wrote that she was told by the company’s communications head that as a top executive she could also be seen as speaking on behalf of Levi Strauss.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
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