Toussaint Romain, a former public defender who rose to prominence for his role as a peacekeeper and activist in Charlotte's 2016 Keith Scott protests, and later for his campaign for Mecklenburg County district attorney, has been fired as CEO of Charlotte's Center for Legal Advocacy.
Staff learned of the firing in a virtual staff meeting on Friday, according to two people who were on the call and who spoke to WFAE on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
In a statement to WFAE, the Center confirmed Romain's termination and named Kara Moskowitz as acting CEO. Moskowitz has been with the organization for 12 years, most recently as chief legal officer and director of the consumer protection program.
"After careful consideration and an evaluation of our strategic goals, we are making this leadership change to better position ourselves for continued growth and success," the organization said in the statement, and wished Romain "all the best in his future endeavors."
Romain had led the nonprofit, which provides legal services to low income residents, since May 2022. Romain did not immediately return WFAE's request for comment.
Multiple staff departures preceded the firing
Romain's firing follows a turbulent period within the organization that has included several high-profile staff departures, according to three people with knowledge who spoke to WFAE on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter.
Since June 2023, the leaders of the center's pro bono, immigration, veterans, and tax unit have all left the organization. Since 2022, the center has also lost three people in charge of human relations.
Other attorneys and staff members have also left, according to those who spoke to WFAE, including the remaining two attorneys on the veteran's unit. Only a paralegal has remained on that team, which has not been re-staffed since the attorneys left in summer 2023.
The center has not yet filed a 990 form — which lists a nonprofit's financial results and executive pay with the North Carolina secretary of state for the 2023 fiscal year. The organization was granted a filing extension for May 15.
A celebrated civil activist and guest speaker
Prior to his hiring, Romain was deputy general counsel for Appalachian State University. He also worked as an assistant public defender in Mecklenburg County, where he gained national recognition for mediating conflicts between police and protesters during the 2016 protests over the police killing of Keith Scott in Charlotte.
In 2018, he ran for Mecklenburg County district attorney but lost in the Democratic primary to Spencer Merriweather, who went on to win the election unopposed.
More recently, Romain has been frequently invited to be a guest speaker or presenter at community events. As of Tuesday morning, he was scheduled to be the keynote speaker at WFAE's EQUALibrium awards gala on June 27.
