September 08, 2026
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
A $55 million give made to Temple University last year has been terminated amid a federal investigation of donor Christopher Barnett, the owner of the autism-focused behavioral health care company ABA Centers of America. Barnett, who served on Temple's Board of Trustees, resigned Tuesday. Authorities are investigating allegations of fraud and money laundering.
Temple University has terminated a $55 million gift from a member of its board of trustees who resigned Tuesday amid a lengthy federal investigation into alleged money laundering at his healthcare company, officials said.
The donation from Christopher M. Barnett, owner of the behavioral healthcare company ABA Centers of America, was projected to be the largest in the university's history. It primarily would have benefited the school's College of Public Health, which was renamed for Barnett. Federal investigators are looking into allegations of fraudulent billing at Barnett's autism-focused therapy provider and other businesses he owns.
Temple President John Fry called the loss of the donation, which had been announced in October, "deeply disappointing" in a statement shared with the university community Tuesday.
"Given the complexity of the situation and the seriousness of the allegations, Temple University and Mr. Barnett have mutually agreed to terminate his $55 million philanthropic commitment," Fry said.
Temple had not yet received any payments stemming from the gift, the university said, and the board decided it was in the school's best interest not to accept Barnett's donation. Fry said the College of Public Health remains on solid footing despite the change in plans.
"As one of the largest colleges of its kind in the nation, its reputation and momentum will continue to grow, and we are committed to ensuring that it remains on a strong upward trajectory," Fry said.
Federal investigators seized digital records last year from ABA Centers of America and its parent company, ICBD Holdings, along with documents from several sister companies.
ABA Centers of America primarily diagnoses and treats autistic children to assist them and their parents in various settings. Authorities allege Barnett's companies misrepresented locations where medical services were provided to obtain higher insurance reimbursements. The companies also are accused of adjusting providers' credentials to bill patients for out-of-network visits. Some patients allegedly were billed for services that do not qualify as medical treatment, among other allegations still under investigation.
Barnett has not been charged with any crimes at this time. He denies wrongdoing, and Fry said he has cooperated with the university during the investigation. The university claims it only learned of specific allegations against Barnett's companies in recent days.
The federal investigation of ABA Centers of America is being led by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General. A pair of warrants were submitted to a judge in New Hampshire in February 2025 and again in December 2025. Investigators sought to review Barnett's Microsoft email and OneDrive accounts.
Warrant documents obtained by Reinforcement & Ruin, an investigative Substack publication that has closely followed the federal probe, detail a range of allegations that the company gave its employees incentives to increase billable hours and rates for clients. Barnett allegedly used some of the proceeds to obtain a $9.95 million jet, a $20 million lease on a waterfront home in Florida and two Ferraris worth more than a combined $1.7 million, according to the federal documents.
It's unknown how soon authorities could take additional steps in their investigation.
In his statement Tuesday, Fry said Barnett is "recovering from a life-threatening medical event," but did not provide any details about his condition.
"We are grateful that Mr. Barnett has expressed a desire to avoid any negative impact on Temple," Fry said.
The statement also said Temple remains on track for the university's most successful fundraising year to date with $159 million raised in the current fiscal year, even when factoring in the termination of Barnett's gift.
"This action does not diminish the philanthropic momentum and strength of Temple," Fry said.
