The director of New Jersey’s most prominent LGBTQ rights group resigned after he was accused of pulling a foster child out of bed and slapping him repeatedly across the face.
Christian Fuscarino, who has ties to top Dems including Gov. Phil Murphy and Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill, was charged with child endangerment and simple assault for an alleged attack that was caught on camera last month.
“Garden State Equality takes allegations against our staff seriously and we oppose violence of any kind. When we learned about the charge against Mr. Fuscarino, we immediately placed him on leave,” the organization said in a statement.
He later resigned from the group — which he has led since 2016 — and claimed in a statement that the incident was a “private family moment.”
Fuscarino was allegedly caught on security camera yanking the boy out of bed at a home in Neptune City on Nov. 9, according to court records obtained by NJ.com.
The 35-year-old then smacked the child with an open hand across the face “multiple times” and then repeatedly shoved the kid into a wall, the docs alleged.
“Fuscarino appears to stop and speak to (the child) before striking (the child) again … upward in the face,” the affidavit alleges.
The boy was identified in court documents as a “resource child” under Fuscarino’s care, the Asbury Park Press reported.
Fuscarino’s attorney, Mitchell Ansell, described the incident as a “difficult personal family moment.”
“Unfortunately, this private moment has now become public,” Ansell told NJ.com in a statement.
Another person in the home reported the alleged abuse, according to court docs.
After the alleged beating, a caretaker took the child to the Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center, which investigates allegations of child abuse.
The New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency acquired footage of the incident and notified the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office on Nov. 20. Fuscarino was arrested the following day by Neptune City Police.
Fuscarino’s downplayed the alleged assault.
“For anyone concerned, please know that everyone is safe and no physical harm was caused,” attorney Ansell said.
For nearly a decade, Fuscarino has served as executive director of the Asbury Park-based Garden State Equality — the largest LGBTQ+ organization in the Jersey.
Fuscarino said Wednesday he “resigned from Garden State Equality to ensure that the organization’s work is not impacted by a private family matter.”
“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. Everyone involved is safe and navigating this situation responsibly.
“Out of respect—not for me, but for my family—I ask that this be seen for what it is: a private family moment, not a public spectacle.”
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