(a) Removal of directors of a membership corporation shall be subject to the following provisions:

(1) The members may remove, with or without cause, one or more directors who have been elected by the members, unless the articles of incorporation or bylaws provide that directors may be removed only for cause. The articles or bylaws may specify what constitutes cause for removal.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in the articles of incorporation or bylaws, if a director is elected by a voting group of members, by a chapter or other organizational unit, or by a region or other geographic grouping, only the members of that voting group or chapter, unit, region, or grouping may participate in the vote to remove the director.

(3) The notice of a meeting of members at which removal of a director is to be considered shall state that the purpose, or one of the purposes, of the meeting is removal of the director.

(4) The board of directors of a membership corporation shall not remove a director except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) of this section or in the articles of incorporation or bylaws.

(b) The board of directors may remove a director of a nonmembership corporation:

(1) With or without cause, unless the articles of incorporation or bylaws provide that directors may be removed only for cause; provided, that articles or bylaws may specify what constitutes cause for removal; or

(2) As provided in subsection (c) of this section.

(c) The board of directors of a membership corporation or nonmembership corporation may remove a director who:

(1) Has been declared of unsound mind by a final order of court;

(2) Has been convicted of a felony:

(3) Has been found by a final order of court to have breached a duty as a director under part C of this subchapter;

(4) Has missed the number of board meetings specified in the articles of incorporation or bylaws, if the articles or bylaws at the beginning of the director’s current term provided that a director may be removed for missing the specified number of board meetings; or

(5) Does not satisfy at the time any of the qualifications for directors set forth in the articles of incorporation or bylaws at the beginning of the director’s current term, if the decision that the director fails to satisfy a qualification is made by the vote of a majority of the directors who meet all of the required qualifications.

(d) A director who is designated in the articles of incorporation or bylaws may be removed by an amendment to the articles or bylaws deleting or changing the designation.

(e) Except as otherwise provided in the articles of incorporation or bylaws, a director who is appointed by persons other than the members may be removed with or without cause by those persons.

(July 2, 2011, D.C. Law 18-378, § 2, 58 DCR 1720.)

This section is referenced in § 29-401.50 and § 29-408.22.