The board of Norfolk Southern — the railroad responsible for spilling toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, during a February 2023 train derailment — ousted the company’s CEO Wednesday for allegedly having an affair with a co-worker, according to a company press release.

An internal investigation found the railroad’s CEO Alan Shaw engaged in a romantic relationship with Chief Legal Officer Nabanita Chaterjee Nag, the press release stated. The finding follows a proxy battle between Shaw and activist investor Ancora Holdings, according to The Wall Street Journal, with the investment firm pushing for Shaw’s firing following a train derailment that leaked hazardous chemicals along the Lehigh River and resulted in the company paying roughly $1 billion in legal settlements.

Shaw and Nag’s relationship was longstanding, with employees noting odd behavior during work trips such as the two staying in different hotels from their peers and often hopping in cars from airports together while other employees took a passenger van.

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The railroad’s board announced the probe into Shaw’s conduct on Sunday after Ancora caught wind of the investigation and requested shareholder records, in what was a potential precursor to a second proxy fight, the WSJ reported. Ancora tried to replace Shaw with former United Parcel Service executive Jim Barber in May but failed. […]