Fuscarino steps down as advocacy group leader

Christian Fuscarino has resigned as executive director of Garden State Equality following charges of child endangerment, the New Jersey Globe has confirmed.

The LGBTQ+ advocacy organization had placed Fuscarino on a leave of absence after learning of the charges by the Neptune Police Department 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 group said in a statement released prior to the resignation.  “We respect the courts and will allow that process to be handled by them. We will continue our important work with our acting executive director.”

On Wednesday, Fuscarino said 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.:

Fuscarino has been the top staffer at Garden State Equality since 2016.

He is expected to appear in court next month.

Court records don’t reflect any reassignment of the matter to a different jurisdiction.

This story was updated on December 17 at 9:46 PM with a comment from Fuscarino.