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May 27, 2021

President of Leadership Greater Hartford removed following anti-predator group video

Photo | Leadership Greater Hartford Chris Duffy was dismissed from his post as president of Leadership Greater Hartford on Tuesday.
By Zachary Vasile

The president of Leadership Greater Hartford has been dismissed from his role with the organization after the release of a video purporting to show him at a gas station looking to meet up with a 15-year-old boy.

In a statement, the nonprofit, which focuses on leadership development and networking, said it cut ties with Chris Duffy on Tuesday.

“We do not condone this type of behavior and it was clear that Mr. Duffy could no longer be part of our organization,” the statement read. “We have been in touch with local law enforcement and have offered our full support and cooperation.”

Duffy had served as president of Leadership Greater Hartford since July 2020. He could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday afternoon.

East Hartford police Lt. Joshua Litwin confirmed that the department is looking into the video, which he said appears to have been recorded at a Mobil gas station on Silver Lane. The department is not confirming the identities of anyone in the video at this time, Litwin said.

A vigilante group calling itself EastCoast Catchem uploaded the 70-second clip to Facebook Saturday night, showing a man sitting in a parked car. According to a post accompanying the video, an EastCoast Catchem member had been communicating with the man while posing as a 15-year-old boy, and the man drove to the gas station thinking he was going to meet the minor in person.

The video shows an EastCoast Catchem member confront the driver, and the two argue over where they should speak further — inside the man’s car or outside in the parking lot. As another member of the group steps forward and reveals himself to be associated with EastCoast Catchem, the man in the vehicle rolls up his window and drives off.

The recording captures the man’s license plate, which appears to have a red firefighter insignia on it.

According to a since-deleted profile on Leadership Greater Hartford’s website, Duffy had served as a volunteer firefighter.

Duffy is the principal of Amplify Leadership Partners, a personal business advising and consulting group. A short biography posted on Amplify Leadership Partners’ website describes him as a “leadership and psychology geek” and states he once held “leadership roles” at General Electric and Travelers.


 

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