Wisconsin Public Radio reports:

A former longtime Wisconsin educator in a new federal lawsuit says he was fired from his job as a principal in rural Racine County because he is gay. Jeffrey Peterson, who previously filed a discrimination complaint with the state, was put on leave in 2023 and later, the district declined to renew his contract. At the time, he was a principal in the small Raymond School District No. 14, in Racine County, southwest of Milwaukee — the same place where he attended elementary school himself.

His lawsuit claims multiple school board members and their allies pushed him out of the job because of his sexual orientation. The suit alleges that board members faked complaints about his performance and accused him of grooming children, among other false allegations. Peterson was an educator for over 30 years when he was terminated. He’d received a mayoral proclamation for his work, and had been selected as a Wisconsin Principal of the Year.

Peterson has been in a relationship with his partner for decades. His sexuality was only known to close friends and family, and the complaint says he informed his employers to find out about insurance benefits for his partner. The complaint specifically points to actions of people affiliated with Moms for Liberty, a right-wing activist group that was involved in multiple Wisconsin school board races.