A deputy city mayor who previously headed the Children’s Aid Society is being sued for allegedly firing a former underling because he thought she was too old.
Patricia Grayson, 61, charges in her Manhattan Federal Court suit that then-Children’s Aid CEO Richard Buery, now a deputy mayor, regularly told her, “We need to hire 20-something energetic women from [another charitable nonprofit] the Robin Hood Foundation…” and then canned her in July despite acknowledging she was a successful fundraiser.
Buery, 42, was appointed as deputy mayor for strategic policy initiatives — a newly created city post under Mayor de Blasio — in February.
Grayson, who worked for Children’s Aid for 24 years, says in her suit that she turned down a $240,967 severance deal releasing the nonprofit of any future liability because she knew she’d been discriminated against and was “beyond successful” as the group’s fundraiser.
“Despite [Grayson’s] many years of experience and exceptional performance for CAS, as well as her stellar reputation in the not-for-profit fundraising arena, [she] was wrongfully terminated because of her age,” the suit says.
The suit says Buery told Grayson he was firing her because there were “several trustees who were displeased with her performance” — but she later cornered trustees and senior board members and they informed her that was not the case.
The suit also claims that five other mature, “highly qualified” staffers at Children’s Aid, ranging from 49 to 71 years old, were let go by Buery and would be called to testify about his “discriminatory” practices.
Grayson – who claims she suffered from palpitations and had to be placed on a heart monitor due to the stress of her firing — is seeking back pay and unspecified money damages.
Messages left with Grayson’s lawyer and Buery were not immediately returned.
Anthony Ramos, a spokesman for the Children’s Aid Society, said the nonprofit took Grayson’s allegations “very seriously” and “engaged an independent” investigation, which found the allegations were “not substantiated.”
When asked about the suit, a spokesman for Mayor de Blasio and Buery also pointed out that the allegations were found to be false through the investigation.
Messages left with Grayson’s lawyer were not immediately returned.
Buery was tapped as de Blasio fourth and final deputy mayor, even as City Hall mulls booting Children Aid Society’s charter school from a public building.