Wisconsin principal of the year claims he was fired and accused of grooming because he’s gay

Wisconsin principal of the year claims he was fired and accused of grooming because he’s gay Jeffrey Peterson served as principal at the pre-K through eighth-grade Raymond School in Franksville, Wisconsin - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments A former Wisconsin principal of the year has filed a federal lawsuit alleging he was ousted from his job at a rural school district because of his sexual orientation. Jeffrey Peterson, a longtime educator with more than three decades of experience, claims in court documents that members of the Raymond School Board and their allies targeted him after learning he was gay, eventually fabricating performance issues and falsely accusing him of grooming children. Peterson, who was previously honored with a mayoral proclamation for his work, served as principal at the pre-K through eighth-grade Raymond School in Franksville, an institution of roughly 400 students where he had once attended elementary school. Peterson kept his sexuality private from the public for decades, sharing it only with close friends and family, according to court documents. He disclosed his relationship to his employer solely to inquire about insurance benefits for his long-term partner. Shortly after, court filings state, school board members holding anti-LGBTQ+ views conspired to push him out. The controversy coincided with a contentious 2022 local school board race that saw involvement from conservative political groups. Peterson’s suit points specifically to actions by people affiliated with Moms for Liberty, a conservative activist group whose local chapters have been active in Wisconsin school board elections, protesting COVID-19 protocols and pushing to restrict books in school libraries, as reported by Wisconsin Watch. On its official website, Moms for Liberty states it is “dedicated to fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.” The page also features a quote from Founding Father John Adams: “Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom.” The lawsuit names the Raymond School District, the school board, former superintendent Michael Garvey, board members Gwen Keller, Audrey Kostuch, Janell Wise and Amanda Falaschi, as well as former school board candidate Arthur Binhack. In the lawsuit, Peterson claims board members granted Binhack, whom the complaint describes as an “unelected political operative” with anti-gay views, access to school policies, staff and teachers. Following Binhack's involvement, the district voted to alter classroom materials and ban certain books, the suit says. It claims the board then hired Garvey as superintendent, and that he made multiple remarks about gay teachers that Peterson interpreted as veiled threats regarding his own sexuality. After just 34 days of working together, Garvey gave Peterson a very poor performance evaluation in April 2023 — notably “the first and only poor evaluation Peterson had received during his 29 years working for Wisconsin schools,” according to the complaint. Tensions escalated in August 2023, when roughly 30 residents attended a school board meeting to praise Peterson’s leadership. Peterson formally submitted a letter to the board expressing his belief that he was suffering discrimination on the same day. Around this time, district officials received a letter calling for public condemnation of the principal and alleging he was sexualizing and “grooming” children. Court documents state that a local woman emailed the document to Binhack to use against Peterson, alleging that she and three board members crafted the document using false information. Following a meeting in which Kostuch indicated the district would not renew the principal’s contract, Garvey placed Peterson on administrative leave. According to the complaint, district open records were manipulated and later distributed to the media by an official with the Racine County chapter of Moms for Liberty. The board ultimately voted 4-1 against renewing Peterson’s contract, with only board member Amy Helvick voting to retain him, publicly stating she felt he was not being fairly represented. Peterson appealed his administrative leave for the remainder of his term but lost. Following his termination, he was unable to secure employment for a year. “If Mr. Peterson wasn’t gay, then this discrimination from the board would not be happening,” Peterson's attorney, Ben Hitchcock Cross, said in 2023, as reported at the time by Wisconsin Public Radio. The Independent has contacted Raymond School District No. 14 for comment. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments