D.C. high school principal who came out as gay is losing his job

WASHINGTON — The principal of Wilson High School in Washington D.C. who made national headlines when he came out as gay this year is losing his job.

The Washington Post reports Peter Cahall was notified his contract will not be renewed after six years at the school because of test scores. He notified parents and students of his impending departure Friday.

In a letter to the D.C. Council first published by the Washington City Paper, Cahall called his dismissal “arbitrary and capricious.” He says he wants D.C. Public Schools to be successful but that success may not be possible because of the administration’s “adversarial relationship” with school leaders.

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Cahall said he was told that he is losing his job because “I have not moved the school forward academically based on [assessment test] scores.”

During Cahall’s tenure, Wilson High School has boasted one of the city’s highest numbers of Advanced Placement offerings and a graduation rate well above the city average.

D.C. Council member Mary Cheh said that Cahall has been “highly regarded” and “well respected” by parents and that she was “somewhat skeptical of the basis” for his termination.

Cahall also oversaw a $120 million school modernization.