Courtesy BART

BART Chief Spokesperson Linton Johnson at an Aug. 16 press briefing

Linton Johnson, the embattled BART spokesman who has been on leave since mid-August, will no longer be the transit agency's chief spokesman and head of its communications department. Johnson will now be the "Strategic Program Manager for External Affairs," BART officials said Monday morning.

Johnson came under scrutiny in August after the transit agency shut off wirless service in its downtown San Francisco stations to thwart a planned protest of a BART police shooting. Johnson took credit for coming up with the idea to cut off service, which was ultimately approved by top BART officials. That decision led to a series of protests by the hacktivist group Anonymous, which closed some BART stations during the height of the evening commute.

Johnson was also criticized for writing scripts for riders to speak out against ongoing protests and hiring SUVs to bring them to a staged press conference. Following the revelation, which was first reported in The Bay Citizen, BART officials pledged never to manufacture news.

Johnson was also the target of what many gay rights groups considered an unfair attack from Anonymous, which publicized partially nude photos of the spokesman with other men to protest BART's decision to shutdown cell service.

In a statement, BART said that the move was part of a shake-up of its public relations staff. Instead of having one person who is both runs the communications department and serves as chief spokesman, those jobs will now be split. Jim Allison and Luna Salaver will serve as spokespeople for the transit agency, while the department will be run by someone else.

"BART has announced a reorganization of its communication and spokesperson functions to provide more transparent and precise information about its operations," the agency said in a statement.

In his new position, Johnson will be working to "develop and implement large scale communications strategies for major District programs," including the new rail-car program.