Fired for Being Gay or for Videotape Scandal?

The Chicago-area Cook County Human Rights Commission ruled recently that there is "substantial evidence" a former northern Illinois school superintendent was fired because he was gay -- even though he was also at the center of a scandal over a videotape that defamed some of his district's teachers.

Former Bremen community school district superintendent Rich Mitchell was dismissed in 2006, and he alleges his sexuality led to his firing, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

Mitchell also says the changes he hoped to implement to the school district were stymied by the school board.

Mitchell was suspended and fired shortly after a videotape surfaced of him interviewing new teachers; the video was edited by Mitchell so that the teachers appeared to be admitting to drug use and, in some instances, murder. At the time, Mitchell called the video a joke.

The human rights commission will now investigate the Mitchell's firing in a full hearing.