Hunger Busters CEO resigns, board pledges review after CBS Texas I-Team investigation reveals nonprofit's unmet promises

The CEO of the Dallas nonprofit Hunger Busters has resigned after a CBS News Texas I-Team investigation found the charity failed to deliver the daily brown-bag meals it promised thousands of food-insecure Dallas ISD students, despite continuing to raise money and promote its work.

The organization's board said it called a meeting after the series of CBS News Texas reports last week and decided to request CEO Latame Phillips' resignation because of the concerns raised.

The 25-year-old charity was created to make and deliver brown bag dinners to thousands of "food-insecure" Dallas ISD students.

The I-Team, though, discovered that at some point after schools closed for the pandemic, the meals stopped going out, all while Phillips continued promoting fundraisers, soliciting donations, and accepting awards for his apparent work.

As recently as last month, a mission statement on Hunger Buster's website read "each day our volunteers make and deliver meals to 11 Dallas ISD schools", a claim that disappeared after CBS News Texas asked about it.

Phillips has refused to provide the I-Team with the names of any school receiving deliveries or any community organizations with which it partnered.

When CBS News Texas reached out to 11 schools listed in a 2024 grant application written by Phillips, some schools said they hadn't seen the organization in years. Others didn't even recognize its name.

For weeks, while the I-Team watched the Hunger Busters building, it saw no volunteers going in and no brown bag meals going out.

"When the model shifted and changed, I am not aware of the details of that," said Hunger Busters board chair Dee Baker Amos in an interview earlier this month.

She said she had no idea the meals had stopped, but admitted the board was focused more on fundraising and strategy, not the day-to-day operations.

Now, she and the board are hoping to finally learn about the finances.

In a letter to Phillips this week, Amos directed him to turn over banking and financial access, fundraising and revenue documentation, donor lists, and other records that appear to have been kept only by Phillips.

In a statement to CBS News Texas, the Hunger Busters' board said it has "unanimously approved an independent forensic accounting investigation" and plans on "restructuring the organization to strengthen financial oversight, operation, and internal controls."

Amos, who has chosen to stay on as board chair through the transition, also wrote, "We are moving forward in a different way – grounded in accountability, transparency, and fiduciary stewardship – so this mission can continue with the trust our community deserves."

Phillips has not responded to requests for comment on his resignation, but in a letter to the board, said he was resigning "for the good of the organization."

He and Hunger Busters are still being sued by the Tyler Street Foundation, another Dallas non-profit, which claims Phillips falsified records to hide the fact that he misused grant money. The board says it's taking those claims seriously, as well. In a court filing, though, Phillips has denied the allegations.

Here is the full statement from the Hunger Busters:

"The Hunger Busters Board of Directors takes the concerns raised in the pending Tyler Street Foundation lawsuit and the recent CBS News Texas coverage seriously. Following the two CBS News Texas stories, the Hunger Busters Junior and Senior Boards convened on Friday, January 23 to determine immediate next steps and reinforce accountability to the children and communities we serve. Under the leadership of Board Chairperson Dee Baker Amos, the Board unanimously approved an independent forensic accounting investigation to better understand the organization's financials and meal-delivery operations supporting food-insecure students in Dallas. The Board also agreed to request the resignation of CEO Latame Phillips, Ph.D. The Board accepted Dr. Phillips' resignation on Tuesday, January 27. The Board is committed to full transparency and integrity in executing Hunger Busters' mission to combat childhood hunger in Dallas by providing a daily meal to students who may not get one at home. Our next steps include initiating the independent forensic accounting investigation, outreach to previous grantors who have requested updates, and restructuring the organization and Board to strengthen financial oversight, operations, and internal controls. Out of respect for the ongoing legal process and to protect the integrity of the independent review, the Board will not comment on specific allegations at this time. However, we are committed to cooperating fully with appropriate parties and to providing updates as information becomes available and appropriate to share.

"My focus is ensuring Hunger Busters can continue serving our community – going forward in a different way – grounded in accountability, transparency, and fiduciary stewardship." – Dee Baker Amos, Board Chairperson