TURMOIL AT RED CROSS CHAPTER

The San Gabriel Valley chapter of the American Red Cross is struggling to overcome internal dissension and public embarassment resulting from the recent disclosure that it hired a con man as a top fund raiser, reports the Los Angeles Times. Fred Brito was hired in August as the group’s chief development officer despite a background check that revealed he had a criminal background and several aliases. Since that time, the chapter’s spokesman, who uncovered Mr. Brito’s actions, was fired and is suing for wrongful termination, it has lost several other staff members, and some volunteers have complained that board members do not respect their work. In an interview with the Times, the charity’s board chairman, Michael Zoeller, said a lack of trust and clear communication were to blame for the volunteers’ criticisms, and he pledged to recruit people with volunteer experience to the board in order to repair the rift.