Patrick Branco Ruivo, the director general of Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE)—the municipal operating firm managing Paris's iconic Eiffel Tower—will step down by the end of the year following intense scrutiny over the discriminatory removal of female employees during a VIP religious tour. An exhaustive internal inquiry conducted by the operating authority confirmed severe operational deficiencies, management lapses, and protocol breaches that culminated in the unjust exclusion of women staff members from public-facing stations. Ruivo, who has helmed SETE since late 2018, tendered his upcoming departure after the incident sparked labor unrest, widespread public criticism, and an independent investigation initiated by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to examine institutional culpability.

The September 7 Shutdown: Staff Walkout and Republican Value Violations

The controversy erupted on September 7 when employee unions organized an emergency walkout, forcing the world-famous French monument to abruptly shut down operations for an entire day in protest of gender segregation. The dispute unfolded when a delegation of around 100 members from the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a prominent global socio-spiritual Hindu organization, toured the Eiffel Tower ahead of the grand inauguration of a traditional stone temple in Paris. Operating supervisors allegedly reassigned and excluded female staff from the tour route to adhere to perceived religious interactions, an action SETE President Ariel Weil categorically condemned as an impermissible compromise that violated French republican values, statutory labor protections, and the fundamental principle of gender equality.

BAPS Rejects Discrimination Claims: Clarification on Prior Visit Coordination

In response to the mounting controversy, representatives from BAPS issued a formal statement clarifying that prior logistical coordination with Eiffel Tower administrators was arranged purely to minimize crowd friction and optimize movement for their large group. The organization firmly denied making any demands predicated on gender exclusion, stating that any implication that female staff should be displaced runs entirely contrary to their founding spiritual tenets. Emphasizing its dedication to mutual respect, human equality, and non-discriminatory community service worldwide, BAPS reiterated that its delegation sought standard administrative facilitation rather than workplace discrimination, as Paris authorities continue their probe into how on-site management implemented such directives.