The executive director of Garden State Equality, New Jersey’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group, has resigned from his post amid allegations he assaulted his foster child.
Christian Fuscarino was arrested last month and charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child by a caretaker, as well as two counts of simple assault.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred on Nov. 9, when Fuscarino was caught on home surveillance video yanking the boy out of bed at a home in Neptune City, according to a court documents obtained by NJ Advance Media. He then allegedly smacked the child across the face multiple times and shoved him into the wall.
After learning of the allegations, Garden State Equality announced that it “immediately” placed Fuscarino on leave. He had led the group since 2016.
By Wednesday morning, his bio was scrubbed from their website. Not long after, he confirmed he would be giving up his role as executive director.
“I resigned from Garden State Equality to ensure that the organization’s work is not impacted by a private family matter,” Fuscarino said in a statement on social media.
“While my loved ones and I have been working through this moment together with care and love, the press has turned a deeply personal situation into a public headline,” he continued. “Everyone involved is safe and navigating this situation responsibly.”
Fuscarino requested that the matter “be seen for what it is: a private family moment, not a public spectacle.”
He’s expected to appear in court next month.
