The head of Britain’s biggest LGBTQ+ festival and Pride parade has lost his job in the wake of accusations from last year that he misused event funds to buy luxury goods.

Christopher Joell-Deshields, the executive director of Pride in London since 2021, denies the claims. He was implicated in September of abusing his position by taking personal advantage of vouchers intended to supply food and drink for volunteers.

He was accused of bullying a disabled volunteer via WhatsApp messages as well as financial mismanagement, with the organisation’s board subsequently suspending him from his role.

In a statement today, Mr Joell-Deshields “strenuously” denied the allegations and highlighted that there were no criminal charges or police involvement over the claims.

It was claimed that he used sponsor-donated vouchers to buy £7,000 (about $9,400) worth of luxury perfumes and Apple tech products. The purchases were said to be flagged up by the event’s fraud detection systems.

Pride in London has now announced that Mr Joell-DeShields was fired after an independent investigation into the matter.

The organisation said that the decision had been “reviewed and upheld by an independent counsel following an appeal process”.

According to British media outlet The Guardian, the investigation’s findings have not been made public.

In correspondence with The Royal Gazette, Mr Joell-Deshields said that the court matter remained “a private civil dispute”.

A statement added: “Mr Joell-Deshields has noted that there are no criminal charges or police involvement related to these claims, which he strenuously denies.

“He further notes that as the matter is subject to ongoing civil legal proceedings, he will not be providing further comment until those proceedings have concluded.”

An interim chief executive, Rebecca Paisis, who has held the role for the past six months, was appointed by the Pride in London board, which said she was “implementing a new governance structure to ensure Pride in London operates at the highest standards”.

Ms Paisis, who said the organisation championed “unity, visibility and equality for all”, added that she was “focused on delivering another safe and successful event and leading the organisation with integrity”.

The event’s website said its parade, set for July 4 in Central London, would include 35,000 marchers and attract an expected 1.5 million spectators. It is funded by corporate sponsors along with a grant from the Greater London Authority.

Mr Joell-Deshields, who has a hospitality background in Britain, formerly worked for the Bermuda Department of Tourism in London as a business development manager.

He was appointed assistant director and office manager for the Bermuda Government Office in London in 2009, and in 2023 he provided the “Homecoming” theme inspiration for Bermuda Pride.

The legal dispute continues between London Pride and Mr Joell-Deshields over accusations by the organisation that he failed to return company property.

A court hearing on the matter was next scheduled for April 21.

• UPDATE: this article has been updated with remarks from Mr Joell-Deshields

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