ARLINGTON, VA — A former Wakefield High School teacher is suing the Arlington County School Board, claiming he was subjected to religious discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation before being assigned to a warehouse where Black employees were allegedly forced to perform hazardous manual labor.
TeRay Bingham, a Stafford County resident who taught English as a second language at Wakefield for nearly 15 years, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
In the lawsuit, Bingham claims Arlington Public Schools administrators targeted him because of his Christian beliefs, race, sex and opposition to school initiatives promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion.
The lawsuit alleges that Bingham was repeatedly reassigned, harassed by colleagues and administrators, placed on administrative leave and ultimately forced to resign in September 2025.
Bingham is seeking financial damages, changes to school division policies and the removal of disciplinary actions from his employment record.
The allegations have not been proven in court. The complaint presents Bingham's account of the events. When contacted by Patch, a spokesperson for Arlington County Public Schools said the district had no additional information to share and would provide updates if and when more becomes available.
According to the lawsuit, Bingham's conflicts with Wakefield administrators began in 2018 over mandatory staff meetings focused on race, cultural competency and LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Bingham claims administrators refused to let him opt out of the meetings despite his religious objections. He alleges that coworkers subsequently circulated petitions calling for his termination because of his beliefs.
In October 2023, Bingham wore a shirt featuring a rainbow and the phrase "Make the Rainbow Godly Again."
The lawsuit alleges that Assistant Principal Jessica Salvador told him the shirt was offensive to gay people and Principal Peter Balas instructed him to change or leave school.
Bingham chose to leave, according to the complaint. He later received permission from the school division's human resources department to wear the shirt.
Days later, Bingham responded to an all-staff email promoting LGBTQ+ History Month by sharing a religious video about leaving homosexuality and following Christianity.
The lawsuit claims the school subsequently banned all-staff emails.
In June 2024, Bingham filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging religious discrimination.
He claims the school division retaliated by assigning him to unfamiliar classes, including an autism life skills course and a senior project class, without adequate training.
The lawsuit also accuses Salvador of repeatedly touching Bingham inappropriately during meetings, including rubbing his chest, touching his head and pressing against him.
Bingham alleges he asked Salvador to stop and suggested they exchange fist bumps instead of hugs, but the unwanted contact continued.
He reported the alleged harassment to human resources in September 2024, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit claims school officials failed to respond adequately and later rejected his allegations.
Bingham also alleges that four other Black male employees experienced similar conduct.
One of the lawsuit's central allegations concerns how Arlington Public Schools treated employees placed on administrative leave.
In October 2024, Bingham distributed a survey asking teachers whether they had experienced discrimination based on their Christian or conservative beliefs.
The survey also referenced a student whom Bingham alleged wanted to be addressed as a cat.
Two days later, administrators placed him on administrative leave and recommended his termination, according to the lawsuit.
The school division subsequently issued a written reprimand, alleging Bingham violated employee conduct policies and improperly disclosed confidential student information in violation of federal student privacy protections.
Bingham disputes those allegations.
While on leave, he was assigned to a Taylor Street warehouse that employees allegedly called "the dungeon."
According to the lawsuit, Black employees assigned to the facility were required to move boxes weighing 50 to 100 pounds, hazardous waste and other materials.
Bingham claims he injured his back on his first day and developed ongoing nerve pain.
The lawsuit alleges that Black employees on administrative leave were sent to the warehouse while white employees were assigned to the Syphax Education Center, a facility employees allegedly nicknamed "the palace."
Bingham claims a warehouse secretary told him that only Black employees had been assigned to the Taylor Street facility during her previous two years working there.
He also alleges that some boxes contained blood samples from COVID-19 testing and that employees worked in freezing conditions.
Those claims are allegations in the complaint, not independently established findings.
After returning from leave in April 2025, Bingham claims he was prevented from returning to Wakefield and instead reassigned to teach kindergarten despite having no training in early childhood education.
He also alleges his suspension prevented him from enrolling in a flexible spending benefits program.
Bingham filed a second EEOC discrimination complaint in February 2025, alleging discrimination based on sex, religion and race, along with retaliation.
He resigned Sept. 1, 2025, claiming the school division had made his working conditions intolerable.
The lawsuit includes eight claims alleging violations of federal civil rights laws, the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and the Virginia Human Rights Act.
Bingham is seeking compensation for lost wages, employment benefits, emotional distress and physical injuries he attributes to the warehouse assignment.
He also wants the court to order Arlington Public Schools to end discriminatory and retaliatory practices, implement policies protecting employees from discrimination and remove disciplinary actions from his personnel record.
The complaint does not specify a dollar amount.
Bingham has requested a jury trial.
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