Former Suburban School Chief FIRED For Being Gay

Nearly four years ago, Bremen Community School District 228 Superintendent Rich Mitchell was fired after his contract had been extended through 2009. Last week, the Cook County Human Rights Commission figured out why: because he is gay.

Mitchell was interviewed for the leadership position in 2004 by the local School Board, according to a statement from Lambda Legal. While being interviewed, board member Evelyn Gleason allegedly asked two other members if they knew Dr. Mitchell was gay.

Evelyn Gleason was opposed to hiring Dr. Mitchell because of his sexual orientation.

Though his contract was extended, things began to get more difficult for Dr. Mitchell. Evelyn Gleason became president of the School Board, The Huffington Post reports.

Gleason’s new role allowed her to not only change the district’s legal council, (replacing the firm with her son’s law firm) but it allowed her to “do what she’d always wanted: get rid of Mitchell,”