Ex-School Official Sues After Principal Allegedly Told Him to Leave Identities ‘at the Door’

A gay former assistant principal at a New Jersey high school is suing the school district, claiming that he was fired in retaliation for objections he raised over board of education members’ alleged conduct that he felt was unlawful and unethical. 

In a complaint filed on Monday, Sept. 8, in Superior Court of New Jersey, Camden County, David Francis-Maurer, who was hired as an assistant principal at Cherry Hill High School East in 2023, said he was placed on administrative leave after his contract was not renewed. 

“Rather than appropriately address Plaintiff’s concerns, however, the CHBOE [Cherry Hill Board of Education] Defendants disregarded said complaints and instead subjected Plaintiff to a calculated campaign of targeted retaliation,” read the complaint obtained by PEOPLE.

According to the complaint, at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, Cherry Hill High School East principal Daniel Finkle allegedly told Francis-Maurer to “leave his identities ‘at the door,’ a reference to Francis-Maurer being gay and practicing Judaism.

The complaint also alleged that Finkle was featured in a post published through the official Student Government Association Instagram account lip-syncing to a soundbite saying, “My pronouns are U.S.A.,” which “trivialized and mocked gender identity.”

Francis-Maurer alleged in the court document that the parents and school faculty complained to him about the Instagram post, which prompted the assistant principal to address the issue with Finkle. However, according to the complaint, the principal “was dismissive” and “brushed off” Francis-Maurer’s concerns. 

The complaint also claimed that at a meeting in October 2024 in which students were present, Finkle allegedly remarked, “I wear my Star of David on the inside, not the outside.”

Then, in January of this year, Francis-Maurer learned that a parent of a student allegedly made “repulsive and homophobic” comments about him during a phone call, the complaint read. Francis-Maurer went to Finkle, who allegedly “dismissed” the concerns and told him to “investigate the matter himself.”

The complaint claimed that CHBOE officials failed to address Francis-Maurer’s concerns after he reached out to them. In February, Francis-Maurer wrote a six-page complaint to Cherry Hill Superintendent Kwame Morton alleging that Finkle dismissed Francis-Maurer’s personal identities, “telling me to ‘leave the gay at the door.’ ”

In addition to hostility towards protected identities, Francis-Maurer’s complaint to Morton alleged racially insensitive remarks, disparaging social media content and promotion of harmful stereotypes and discriminatory treatment of student expression linked to Finkle, per the suit.

After he filed the complaint, Francis-Mauer was allegedly rated “partially-effective” during a performance review and was placed on an improvement plan by Finkle, according to the suit.

In May, according to the complaint, Francis-Maurer received a letter from Morton stating that his contract would not be renewed for the 2025-2026 year. Upon hearing about the non-renewal, parents and students began organizing for a walkout in support of Francis-Maurer scheduled on May 19.

When Francis-Maurer was summoned to meet with Morton, the superintendent asked him if he knew about the walkout and planned to participate, according to the complaint. Francis-Maurer said he was aware of the action but had no desire to participate in it and hat he did not share information with students that his contract hadn’t been renewed. 

At a hearing held in July attended by Cherry Hill school officials and students, Francis-Maurer addressed the alleged retaliation he experienced, the Courier-Post reported at the time. 

“Behind the scenes,” Francis-Maurer said at the hearing, “I was actively marginalized and retaliated against for raising concerns that I believe put student safety, staff well-being and professional standards at risk.”

“Beginning September 2024, I was told repeatedly to leave my identities at the door,” he added. 

The counts brought in Francis-Maurer’s complaint against the school district include retaliation in violation of New Jersey’s Conscientious Employee Protection Act, as well as discrimination and disparate treatment due to sexual orientation and religion.

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Francis-Maurer is seeking reinstatement of employment and all benefits along with front and back pay, per the complaint. 

In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Friday, Sept. 12, Cherry Hill Public Schools said it was aware of the lawsuit but could not comment on pending litigation on personnel matters other than to say the district “categorically denies allegations of wrongdoing.”

“We are steadfast in our commitment to fostering a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for every student and staff member. Our policies and practices are designed to ensure all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. We will continue to uphold these standards and maintain a positive educational atmosphere throughout all of our schools,” the statement said. 

Frances-Maurer’s attorneys did not immediately responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment.