Glenmore Park resident and former CEO of the charity Little Wings, Kevin Robinson, has responded to allegations made against him earlier this year in relation to sexual misconduct.
As reported in The Western Weekender in June, Mr Robinson was sacked as CEO of the charity he founded after a mother of a cancer victim, who he was helping, made allegations that he was sending pornographic text messages to her.
Mr Robinson has said he wasn’t sacked from the CEO position but that he resigned, agreed upon by both him and the Board until ‘the dust settled’.
“Since 2011 I have committed every resource and hour available to build Little Wings,” Mr Robinson said.
“For two years I worked without wages for up to 140 hours a week, working seven days, and I have conservatively invested over $500,000.
“Over this time a great team was built, and I thought a good Board was appointed. As it turns out the Board failed at the first crises and failed to support the founder, CEO and Chairman which was nothing short of spineless. ”
Mr Robinson says he is now facing bankruptcy after putting his life and savings into building the charity.
He has admitted to sending pornographic images but claims he didn’t initiate the text messages.
“Regrettably I did this believing in what she was telling me, and I cannot defend this action regardless of the circumstances as it was simply wrong,” Mr Robinson said.
The Board of Little Wings has released a statement explaining the reasoning behind Mr Robinson’s departure from the charity.
“The Board terminated the employment of Mr Robinson for serious misconduct,” the statement said.
“He misled the Board in respect of his inappropriate conduct with a client and other matters crucial to Little Wings’ ability to provide its services.
“Mr Robinson admitted to knowingly misleading the Board in regards to a photograph of himself which he had sent to a client.”
Richelle Koller has been appointed Managing Director with Adrian Nisbet as the Chairman of the Board.
“Little Wings’ Board and staff are more focused than ever on helping seriously ill children and their families in regional and rural NSW,” the Board’s statement said.
“In the 2014/15 financial year Little Wings provided 234 free flights to regional families assisting 562 people and for this coming financial year we aim to increase this number to 300 flights assisting 720 people.”
Mr Robinson had launched an unfair dismissal claim through the Fair Work Commission against Little Wings claiming they didn’t meet with their obligations that were originally discussed, but says he had to drop it explaining he doesn’t have the funds behind him to fight it further.
– Jade Aliprandi
