Gay Iowa Teacher Forced to Resign From School After Blackmail Attempt
Iowa Capital Dispatch he went to administrators at Valley Lutheran High School in January to reveal he was being blackmailed over contents from a hacked phone.
Not long after, pictures and other information stolen from the phone were posted to the school’s Facebook page.Gerhold said he told the school he was gay when he was hired last summer, but that their only concern at the time was he keep his sexual identity a “secret and not pursue a relationship” with anyone while employed.Despite their prior knowledge of his sexual identity, school administrators immediately placed Gerhold on administrative leave following the posting of the photos over his sexual identity.
Later the same day he was told by the school’s pastor, who was also a school board member, that it would be in the best interest of all involved to resign because the school board would terminate him at its next meeting.
He resigned his position that evening.The school later unsuccessfully appealed the state's decision to grant unemployment benefits to Gerhold.
