Educator awarded $265,000 after alleging school district fired him for being gayhttps://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/07/educator-awarded-265000-after-alleging-school-district-fired-him-for-being-gay/ 🔗Molly Sprayregen (16 July 2026)
A former superintendent was awarded $265,000 last month after suing his former school district, alleging he was fired in 2023 for being gay, according to a settlement agreement obtained by government transparency advocate John Paff.
John Berenato sued New Jersey's Manchester Township School District in 2024, claiming board members buckled under "local political pressure" to prevent "those with different sexual orientations" from working in the school system.
Berenato claimed board members expressed religious beliefs in opposition to homosexuality and openly discussed fears he was "pushing a gay agenda."
Berenato's replacement, current superintendent Diane Pedroza, is alleged to have said she didn't want the district's curriculum to become "too gay" under Berenato's leadership.
Two others filed lawsuits against the district around the same time as Berenato. In one, a straight colleague of his said she was with the superintendent when he received "disgusting derogatory texts regarding sexual acts" from district board members.
Bridget Antonucci, the district's former director of special services, said her allyship with Berenato led to her being labeled "a member of the rainbow community" and subsequently "subjected to a hostile work environment and ultimately terminated."
The board's conduct left Antonucci "shocked, wondering how elected officials could act so despicably," she said in her suit.
