POUGHKEEPSIE – “Community Santa” , has corporations and organizations cutting ties with the John Flowers Community Events organization, of which he plays a major role. Flowers has been charged on more than one occasion with assault and obstruction of breathing of women. Two of the women who made allegations against him have given birth to his children.
, Flowers, through his attorney Joe O’Connor, argued that the electronic monitoring (EM) he was being subjected to was “too restrictive,” and Judge Klein, who originally required the EM condition of his release from jail, agreed. Judge Klein ordered the EM ankle bracelet to be removed and, as a substitute, ordered that Flowers contact the Dutchess County Probation Department daily, Monday through Friday, to check in. Several domestic violence survivors were outside the court that day and have been applying pressure to sponsors of the Flowers events, asking them to discontinue their support out of respect for victims.
and his office have discontinued their longstanding relationship with Frankie Flowers and the John Flowers Community Events this week. Sheriff Imperati, responding to an inquiry from Mid-Hudson News, said, “We will distance ourselves from the John Flowers Community events, but as always, will continue to help children and families in need throughout the entire county.”
, with dealerships in Ulster County and several upstate, was a supporter of Frankie Flowers and his organization until a woman familiar with Flowers told them of the latest charges. Manager Michael Critchley said the group’s support was to help those in need. “We truly only wanted to help the community and the kids that were in need,” and severed ties with Flowers, saying “We would never support anything or anyone that is involved with domestic violence.”
On Thursday, (MHA) CEO Andrew O’Grady addressed the community about the relationship with Frankie Flowers and issued a statement that he shared with Mid-Hudson News.
“Mental Health America of Dutchess County (MHA) has long supported community traditions that bring joy and relief to families in need. Our contributions have always been directed toward making these events successful for the community—providing candy for Easter Egg Hunts attended by hundreds of families, food for Thanksgiving baskets that benefit countless individuals, including many of our clients, and gifts for Santa events that allow children to experience the magic of the holidays when their families might otherwise struggle to afford presents. We also support our local free youth flag and tackle football leagues,” O’Grady said, referring to the Flowers Easter Egg Hunt, Thanksgiving food giveaways, and toy giveaways for Christmas.
“Our mission has always been to strengthen, support, and uplift our community,” O’Grady continued. “However, recent developments have placed us in a deeply conflicted position. Frankie Flowers, who has organized the Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas events, has become an increasingly polarizing figure due to repeated allegations of assault, troubling communications, and a history of protective orders and charges by women who alleged to have been abused by him. While he has never been convicted, the pattern of accusations and public discourse surrounding these matters makes any association with his events appear to disregard the voices of victims of domestic violence. That is absolutely not the case, and I personally apologize to anyone who felt that the MHA logo on a Frankie Flowers event minimized or negated any trauma they may have endured, whether by Frankie Flowers or anyone for that matter. Too often, a woman is afraid to come forward for many reasons, one being that they will not be believed and the alleged abuser will not be held accountable.”
MHA works every day to support survivors—women and men alike, and we remain steadfast in that commitment. These accusations have persisted for many years, and over the years, many have expressed concern about affiliating with Mr. Flowers. I personally chose to continue to support these events despite the concerns brought to me, not because I ignored his legal issues, but because I saw the good those events do. Until now, our involvement has been focused solely on ensuring these three community events continued to serve those in need.”
O’Grady then announced the separation, saying “Going forward, MHA will no longer support events associated with Frankie Flowers. Instead, we will explore new ways to bring joy to children and families during Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas—upholding our mission while ensuring that our partnerships reflect the values of safety, respect, and compassion.”
We appreciate the community’s understanding and continued support as we take this step to align our actions with our principles.
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