AOL Inc. chief executive Tim Armstrong on Tuesday issued an apology to his entire staff for the public way in which he fired an employee during a phone call last Friday that was meant to warn employees about the direness of Patch’s circumstances and to prepare them for coming layoffs and management changes, The New York Times reported.

The four-paragraph statement, obtained by The New York Times, said, “I am writing you to acknowledge the mistake I made last Friday during the Patch all-hands meeting when I publicly fired Abel Lenz. It was an emotional response at the start of a difficult discussion dealing with many people’s careers and livelihoods. I am the C.E.O. and leader of the organization, and I take that responsibility seriously.”