Fired Cherry Hill administrator sues, saying officials mounted a ‘campaign of retaliation’ against him

A fired high school principal is suing the Cherry Hill School District, alleging he was subjected to discrimination and a “calculated campaign of targeted retaliation” after blowing the whistle on discriminatory behavior by a top administrator and failures to follow safety protocols.

In a lawsuit filed on Monday in Camden County Superior Court, attorneys for former Cherry Hill High School East Assistant Principal David Francis-Maurer say he was unlawfully placed on administrative leave and later dismissed this spring.

The Cherry Hill Board of Education, superintendent Kwame Morton, human resources director Diane Leber, and Cherry Hill High School East principal Daniel Finkle are named as defendants.

Francis-Maurer, called “DFM” by students, was hired in 2023 to be the assistant principal for the incoming ninth-grade class.

The lawsuit says Cherry Hill administrators “unlawfully conspired with each other in order to subject [Francis-Maurer] to unlawful retaliatory conduct” and subjected him to “severe, pervasive, and continuing instances of discrimination” based on his religion and sexual orientation.

He has alleged that Cherry Hill’s top administrators, as well as the school board, violated school policy and state and federal anti-discrimination laws.

A statement provided by the district Wednesday said, in part, that it “cannot comment on pending litigation or on personnel matters other than to state that it 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.”

According to the lawsuit, Finkle began making discriminatory comments in fall 2024, including disparaging remarks about LGBTQ+ individuals and female employees. In one instance, Finkle allegedly called a female employee “Dumb-Dumb.” Finkle also allegedly told Francis-Maurer to “leave his identities ‘at the door’” — Francis-Maurer is gay and practices Judaism with his family, though he has not formally converted to Judaism — according to the lawsuit.

When Francis-Maurer raised concerns about the comments, administrators dismissed him, according to the lawsuit.

In a February meeting, the lawsuit states, Francis-Maurer reported to Leber that the district wasn’t following proper drug-testing protocol for students. A few days later, Francis-Maurer told Leber via email that Finkle had failed to follow mandated-reporting laws after a teacher reported an intoxicated student on campus.

On Feb. 24, Francis-Maurer submitted a six-page complaint to Morton, which included examples of Finkle allegedly engaging in hostility toward marginalized groups and failing to follow student drug-testing guidelines, enforce field-trip safety measures, and properly report one student’s suicidal ideation.

The next day, Francis-Maurer was rated “partially effective” in two of seven standards on his performance review, according to the lawsuit. In a meeting in late February, Francis-Maurer was told that he would be placed on a performance-improvement plan.

The month-long performance-improvement plan was scheduled to coincide with both spring break and a pre-planned school trip, making it nearly impossible to improve his performance, the lawsuit says. More important, it says, the plan was scheduled to end right before the district’s deadline to decide whether to renew non-tenured staff, “suggesting pretext.”

Though Francis-Maurer alleges he had “successful” meetings with Finkle about his performance over the weeks that followed, his contract was not renewed.

Days after, students and parents began organizing a walkout in protest.

According to the lawsuit, Morton subsequently questioned Francis-Maurer about rumors that the assistant principal had organized the walkout, which Francis-Maurer denied. Still, he was put on administrative leave, the lawsuit says, describing the district’s actions as “continued retaliation.”

In its statement of non-renewal, the district alleged Francis-Maurer failed to complete employee evaluations and respond appropriately to feedback.

The lawsuit said the district’s statement was “not only pretextual, but false.”

At a July 7 hearing, students and a parent implored the school board to reverse its decision and retain Francis-Maurer. The board declined to take a vote, upholding the non-renewal.

“As alleged in the complaint, our client gave the administration multiple opportunities to remedy the situation, to follow the law, and to do the right thing. The administration failed in every which way, and worse, retaliated against David for raising clear violations of law and acts of discrimination within the school. We are proud of David for standing up for himself and the students he cares so deeply about. He looks forward to his day in court,” Matthew Luber of McOmber McOmber & Luber, Francis-Maurer’s legal counsel, said in a statement.

Francis-Maurer is seeking reinstatement of employment, front and back pay, damages, and attorneys’ fees, among other relief. Attorneys are also asking the court to order district employees to undergo anti-retaliation and harassment trainings, reevaluate their current training procedures, and identify a professional in the Cherry Hill School District to investigate future complaints.