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The New York Post
A married-with-children coach at the prestigious Upper West Side Trinity School says his career was destroyed by reverse discrimination at the hands of a lesbian boss who canned him because he was a heterosexual family man. Gregory Kenney, 50, spent 15 years as a gym teacher at the school before he was run out in June 2012, because gay athletic director Pat Krieger disapproved of his "traditional family status," according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Manhattan Supreme Court.
"It's hurtful and embarrassing," Kenney told The Post from his Long Island home.
"He felt ostracized because of his family," added Kenney's attorney, Steven Morelli. "He wants his dignity back. He's put in too much time, effort, love into this and he's not going to walk away."
Starting in 2009, the father of three allegedly became the target of discrimination at the elite school - which well-known people such as Humphrey Bogart, Truman Capote and John McEnroe have attended.
Tuition at Trinity runs nearly $40,000 per year - and in 2010, Forbes named it the No. 1 prep school in America.
Kenney complained that the allegedly straight-hating Krieger forced him to coach three sports - soccer, basketball and golf - even though his contract required him to coach only two, the suit clams.
When he balked, saying the heavy duties interfered with his family life, Krieger allegedly retorted, "We all make choices."
Kenney told Krieger that he couldn't keep working nights and weekends, and she reported him to the headmaster, the suit says.
Meanwhile "a single, female teacher faced no scrutiny when she refused to coach a third season."
Kenney claims the allegedly biased athletic director "routinely favored other single, younger females without children and discriminated against [him] because of his gender, sexual orientation, "traditional family status" and age.
Krieger and another boss allegedly dissuaded Kenney from attending social events with his peers because he was a heterosexual, married male with children, who wouldn't fit in with their "culture."
"He had been doing this for so many years and he certainly did the job well or they would have gotten rid of him a long time ago," ÂMorelli said.
Kenney is seeking unspecified damages in the suit.
A spokesman for Trinity and Krieger said, "We Âhaven't been served with any notification of a lawsuit."
He added, "Trinity does maintain and abide by a comprehensive policy of nondiscrimination."
Additional reporting by Lorena Mongelli and Matt Abrahams
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