Raymond’s gay principal denies allegations made against him

This report is republished by agreement with the Racine County Eye, where it originally appeared

An anonymous letter urges the removal of Raymond School Principal Jeff Peterson. The letter, which references Peterson’s personnel file, accuses him of various acts of misconduct, including creating a toxic work environment and inappropriate behavior towards children.

The letter started circulating when Raymond School released Peterson’s personnel file in October.

Peterson is the embattled principal of Raymond School who was suspended in September for vague references of misconduct. He filed a complaint against the Raymond School District last month to appeal his suspension and to highlight what he and other Raymond community members call a toxic atmosphere after the 2022 school board election.

Leaking his personnel file thrust Peterson into the spotlight, raising concerns about his leadership and behavior. In an exclusive interview with Racine County Eye, Peterson denied the allegations but said his principal career may be over.

“I think my career is over because this (political agenda by Moms for Liberty) is a priority. So I was running a school district and now there’s enough noise and distraction that they’re (other school districts) not going to want to mess with me,” he explained. “I haven’t brought any of this on myself. I haven’t invited any of this. But obviously, I possess something that people are concerned with that other schools don’t want to deal with.”

On the organization’s website, Moms for Liberty (MFL) states in a video their goal is to support candidates in smaller, local elections. MFL is a grassroots political group the Southern Poverty Law Center listed as an “extremist group” because it opposes LGBTQ+ and racially inclusive school curricula.

Wesley E. Haslam, Peterson’s attorney, believes the letter and publishing of Peterson’s personnel file were politically motivated and aligned with an agenda outlined by MFL.

“It came right on the heels of the election,” Haslam said. “It was a victory for those candidates who are supported by an anti-LGBTQ agenda, like Moms for Liberty.”

While Raymond School Board Gwen Keller isn’t a dues-paying member of the Racine County chapter of Moms for Liberty, her agenda is closely aligned with the group’s mission. When Peterson was directed to fill in with a class of fifth-grade boys to teach them human growth and development, Keller emailed Superintendent Michael Garvey asking that two adults be present because parents were uncomfortable with Peterson “teaching the boys.”

Another email references “the next topic coming down is pedophiles as a sexual orientation.”

She also asked Garvey if the district could restrict teachers and education assistants from teaching “topics related to a person’s sexuality.”

When asked about the emails, Keller said she believes in “protecting the innocence of youth.”

“I also believe parents should be allowed to decide what and when their children are introduced to, based on their family values,” she said.

Anonymous letter emphasizes Raymond community concerns, hints at pedophilia

Racine County Eye obtained a copy of the anonymous letter. It contains allegations about “poor leadership, inability to effect change, a toxic staff environment, and sexualization of children” during Peterson’s two-year tenure.

The author criticizes the situation as a simple HR issue, morphing into media sensationalism. Despite these serious accusations, the school board reviewed Peterson’s file in September and voted 4-1 to put him on notice regarding his contract renewal. The only dissenting vote was by board member Amy Helvick, who didn’t find the file’s contents sufficient for non-renewal.

Peterson’s personnel file, which includes a 1991 citation for lewd and lascivious behavior, was published on the district’s website. Despite knowledge of this past incident, the previous board hired Peterson in 2021.

Moreover, the state renewed his teaching license six times over 29 years. Peterson defended his record, highlighting his accolades, including Teacher and Principal of the Year, and refuted the allegations in his file. Amidst these developments, Peterson maintains his innocence and counters the notion of staff division, citing substantial support from colleagues and character references.

Letter’s author raises concerns, points to Peterson’s personnel file

Haslam also issued a statement addressing specific incidents in Peterson’s personnel file, such as a Raymond School staff scavenger hunt, arguing against the portrayal of Peterson fostering a divisive atmosphere.

According to the anonymous letter, though, the issues at Raymond School, characterized as multifaceted and serious, escalated during Peterson’s tenure. These concerns are not new, the letter suggests, but have worsened under the current administration. The author points to evidence from Peterson’s personnel file, indicating instances of “poor leadership, inability to affect change, a toxic staff environment and sexualization of children,” including actions that allegedly “border on child grooming.”

Racine County Eye confirmed the district did not pursue a criminal complaint against Peterson, nor did the Racine County Sheriff’s Office investigate any allegations concerning sexual misconduct. However, some allegations were investigated by a third-party law firm the district hired, resulting in Peterson being reprimanded in November 2022.

The author alleges that this situation has arisen due to Peterson’s inability to defend his actions and record.

“He is friendly and available and has developed a surface-level following because he gives off a nice guy who cares vibe with his public persona. What is happening is either willful sabotage or incompetence,” according to the letter.

“It is time for the public to evaluate the file of Jeff Peterson and decide. All school board members have seen this file and voted 4-1 that they do not want Jeff Peterson to be principal because of what is in the file,” according to the author of the letter.

The next day, the district put Peterson on paid leave, walked him out the door and told him they planned to investigate “misconduct” but did not provide further details.

The letter, however, is only one part of the overall communications between the board, Garvey and Peterson, Haslam said.

“There are things directly from board members that reveal this trope that they kind of equate homosexuality with these fears of pedophilia and all these other very, very offensive tropes,” he said.

Peterson addresses concerns outlined in the pro-Raymond school board letter

Peterson’s personnel file – published on the Raymond School District website last month – included a background check completed in April 2021 that showed a municipal citation for lewd and lascivious behavior. Peterson, who was 20 years old in 1991, had to pay a fine for the noncriminal offense.

The district also released Peterson’s health records, financial records, the address of a family member, and the gender of his partner of 32 years.

“To me, that reeks of intimidation,” Haslam said. “And so I’m saying that’s an invasion of privacy and an unauthorized release of healthcare records.”

When asked about the citation, Peterson said the incident happened over 30 years ago.

“It’s never been an issue in any district I’ve worked in, nor was it when I worked in Raymond School District from 1994 to 2000,” he said.

Addressing specific incidents outlined in an independent investigation done in November 2022, Peterson refutes the misconduct allegations in his personnel file.

Peterson organized a Raymond School staff scavenger hunt for team building and familiarizing new staff with the community, which was later criticized because he asked staff to take photos of students in their swimming pools or reading in their bedrooms.

“It (the investigation) has this way of painting things that I feel are very minor,” Haslam said. “The one thing I think that people refer to when they talk about grooming are the photos of the kids during the scavenger hunts, right? An employee at Raymond School wrote a dissertation on the importance of that kind of bond and having a close relationship with families. And so it was done in that context.”

Another claim addressed Peterson’s handling of a minor student’s inappropriate online relationship with an adult. The person reporting the incident said Peterson responded, “Has he seen her? Well, I guess there’s someone for everybody.”

Peterson denies that he ever made that comment.

“There is support from numerous character references that Peterson would never say anything like this,” according to Haslam.

Additionally, the investigation included an allegation regarding hiring an assistant without the requisite level of background check for an employee, which Peterson acknowledged as an error resulting from long-standing issues with the school’s hiring procedures, which he claims to have promptly rectified.

As a result of its findings, the district issued Peterson a formal reprimand on Nov. 17, 2022.

What’s next?

The school district will hold an employment hearing on Dec. 6 at Raymond School for the school board to determine if they will move forward with Peterson’s contract non-renewal. The time of the hearing has not been announced.

Reports republished from Racine County Eye are not available for republishing elsewhere.