Lawmakers Question Delayed Disclosure
Two Republican Assembly members from Monmouth County have raised serious concerns about transparency after discovering that criminal charges against Christian Fuscarino, executive director of Garden State Equality, remained undisclosed to the public for approximately one month.
Gerry Scharfenberger and Victoria Flynn expressed frustration about the delayed public awareness regarding allegations of child endangerment and assault against the prominent LGBTQ+ rights leader.
"Assaulting a child is never a private matter," the legislators declared in their joint statement. "Based on information revealed yesterday, allegations of abuse within a foster home here in Monmouth County became known more than a month ago. The public deserves to know why it took so long for this information to come to light."
Charges and Organizational Response
Court documents indicate Fuscarino faces charges of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child by a caretaker along with two counts of simple assault.
Following notification of the charges, Garden State Equality placed Fuscarino on administrative leave on December 16 and appointed an interim executive director to lead the organization during the investigation.
Fuscarino subsequently resigned from his position, explaining in a social media statement that he wanted to prevent his "private family matter" from affecting the organization's important advocacy work.
The nonprofit organization has engaged the law firm Lowenstein Sandler to conduct a comprehensive review of its operations and provide recommendations for improvement.
"The Board of Directors of Garden State Equality Educational Fund Inc. is deeply concerned about the allegations against a former staff person that are circulating in the press," the organization stated. "We stand against violence in all forms and take seriously our responsibility to steward the organization and its important mission."
Allegations and Investigation Details
According to charging documents and an affidavit of probable cause, the alleged incident occurred on November 9 at approximately 8 p.m. when Fuscarino, 35, reportedly pulled a child from bed and repeatedly struck them.
Surveillance footage allegedly shows Fuscarino hitting the child multiple times across the face with an open hand before pushing them against a wall on several occasions.
The affidavit further describes that Fuscarino "appears to stop and speak to (the child) before striking (the child) again ... upward in the face."
Following the incident, the child was taken to the Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center in Freehold, where a forensic interview was conducted. The affidavit notes that "no disclosure of physical abuse" emerged during this interview.
However, another individual residing in the home reportedly came forward and confirmed witnessing Fuscarino strike the child and intervening to stop the abuse.
Investigators from the state's Division of Child Protection and Permanency obtained the security video evidence and notified the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office on November 20.
Fuscarino was arrested on November 21, and his case was referred to the prosecutor's office for further legal proceedings.
Legal Representation and Ongoing Questions
Fuscarino's attorney, Mitchell Ansell, addressed concerns about the situation, stating, "For anyone concerned, please know that everyone is safe and no physical harm was caused."
Ansell further commented on his client's character, saying, "Consistent with the values he has brought to every cause he ever championed, Christian remains focused on doing the right thing and becoming a better person."
The lawmakers continue to press for answers regarding whether Fuscarino received preferential treatment due to his influential position and connections.
"We hope not, but these questions must be answered promptly, because even the perception of preferential treatment is deeply troubling and undermines trust in the system meant to protect our most vulnerable children," Scharfenberger and Flynn emphasized.
