CEO Of Charter School Group Fired After Complaint

FINANCIAL DISTRICT, NY — The CEO of a pro-charter school group was fired on Wednesday after the organization investigated a report that the CEO had behaved inappropriately toward a non-employee, the company said.

The nonprofit group Families for Excellent Schools fired its co-founder and CEO Jeremiah Kittredge on Wednesday, according to a statement.

Bryan Lawrence, the chair of the organization's board, said in the statement that Kittredge was investigated after the organization was made aware of the complaint against him. Lawrence said the investigation and "additional factors" led to Kittredge's firing.

"Immediately upon receiving a complaint about inappropriate behavior toward a non-employee by Jeremiah Kittredge, Families for Excellent Schools retained outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation," Lawrence said in the statement. "As a result of this investigation and additional factors, Jeremiah has been terminated as CEO."

Additional details about the complaint — like what Kittredge was accused of or where the alleged incident occurred — were not available. The complaint against Kittredge was investigated by the law firm Epstein Becker Green.

Kittredge did not immediately respond to a Facebook message from Patch asking for comment on Wednesday night.

According to Kittredge's bio, which is still on the Families for Excellent Schools website, Kittredge worked as a public school teacher and union organizer before going on to co-found Families for Excellent Schools in 2011.

The organization, which is headquartered in the Financial District, advocates for school choice and charter schools in New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Kittredge has frequently sparred with Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration, accusing the city of "dire conditions" in the city's Renewal schools and demanding more public space for charter schools.

In September, the group paid a $425,000 fine in Massachusetts after it was faulted for refusing to disclose its donors. The fine was the largest in the state's campaign history, according to the Boston Globe.

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