Gay Wisconsin Principal Alleges Discrimination, Says His Boss Said He'd Indoctrinate Students

A Wisconsin school principal who was placed on leave by his district has filed a complaint alleging the district took action against him simply because he’s gay, in violation of state law.

Jeffrey Peterson began working as principal of the Raymond School, a pre-K-8 school in Franksville, Wis., July 1, 2021, according to the complaint, filed last Friday with the Equal Rights Division of the state’s Department of Workforce Development. He began hearing antigay remarks almost immediately, he says.

At the first board meeting he attended after becoming principal, several members of the public made antigay comments, and Superintendent Michael Garvey did nothing to counter them, the complaint says. In a staff meeting in August 2021, Garvey told employees that the community holds conservative Christian values, which have to be reflected in the school’s curriculum and policies. Garvey is named as respondent in the complaint, which alleges discrimination based on sex and on sexual orientation, both illegal under the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act.

That same month, the school district canceled the health insurance for Peterson’s partner, and administrators told him that same-sex partners could not be covered — and that it was the law.

Much of the antigay atmosphere, Peterson says, was driven by two board members, Audrey Kostuch and Gwen Keller. They are affiliated with a group called Convention of States, whose main cause is calling for a constitutional convention to craft a new U.S. Constitution under which the states could limit the federal government’s power. It appears to espouse various other causes as well, though.

Keller decided to run for the board after she began attending meetings and researching what books were available in school libraries. She discovered some that were “inappropriate for her children (or any child) to read,” says a Convention of States press release. She challenged three books and managed to have them removed. It’s not clear what all the titles were, but the press release notes she had objected to the availability of a video from the Arthur children’s TV series in which two male characters get married.

Despite the hostility Peterson encountered from some board members, he received a new contract in April 2022 that included a $5,000 performance-based raise and $15,000 to compensate for the loss of his partner’s health insurance.

But he learned that there was talk around town alleging that he and his partner were trying to “indoctrinate” children. In March of this year, Garvey assigned him to teach a course on human growth and development for fifth-grade boys but said another adult would be there to observe Peterson and “make sure he didn’t indoctrinate the students,” according to the complaint.

In April, Garvey made the “conservative values” comment at a board meeting. In June, the complaint says, he told Peterson his contract may not be renewed. Peterson continued hearing homophobic and sexist comments from board and staff members, and board member Kostuch told him he should ask female students if they were having their period in case it was affecting their moods and behavior, the document states. He considered this a “trap” to make him have inappropriate, sexualized conversations with students.

Some citizens were lining up against Garvey, who they considered excessively political. In August, a citizens’ group voted to have Garvey removed from his job and prevented from using district funds to defend himself against discrimination claims. The board didn’t act on the citizens’ demand, however.

At its September 27 meeting, the board voted 4-1 to consider not renewing Peterson’s contract, which expires in 2025. He was placed on leave last week and escorted from the school building by Garvey, who had Racine County sheriff’s deputies present. Peterson was told he is under investigation for misconduct but was given no specifics.

“If Mr. Peterson wasn’t gay, then this discrimination from the board would not be happening,” his attorney, Ben Hitchcock Cross, told reporters after September 27 meeting, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. “And we don’t think he would be nonrenewed.”

Several parents have attended board meetings and spoken in defense of Peterson. Parent Mitchell Berman blamed Kostuch and Keller. “This is 100 percent why he was targeted,” Berman told WPR. “These are the people who are banning the books, who are concerned about a PBS cartoon being shown.”

The school board issued a statement saying the leave will “allow the district’s administration, through a third party, to investigate concerns about the principal’s conduct.” The board and Garvey released no further information, WPR reports.

Pictured: Raymond School and Jeffrey Peterson