William E. Cleary Sr. |CNBNews
MANCHESTER, NJ (July 13, 2026)(CNBNews)— Former Manchester Township Schools Superintendent John Berenato has received a six‑figure settlement in connection with his lawsuit over his 2023 firing.
He was awarded $265,000 by the district’s insurance carrier under a settlement approved at the June 16, 2026, Manchester Township Board of Education meeting, according to open‑government advocate John Paff of Transparency NJ.
Berenato was fired on Nov. 7, 2023 at a special board meeting, with the dismissal taking effect immediately. The board claimed he failed to disclose a 2010 drunk‑driving conviction and license suspension on his employment application.
Berenato alleged that the Board decided to terminate him without providing the notice, hearing and procedural protections required by law for the removal of a superintendent. He alleged that the Board’s claimed reasons for firing him were illegal and factually flawed, including because a New Jersey DUI is not a criminal offense and because the Board did not file tenure charges against him.
In a May 1, 2024 lawsuit, Berenato alleged the board’s stated reasons were pretextual, asserting that the real motive for his removal was sexual‑orientation discrimination. He claimed district officials and several board members “searched for any reason” to oust him because he is openly gay and because he supported policies protecting LGBTQ students and complying with state Department of Education guidance.
The Board’s March 25, 2026 minutes state that, in accordance with the OAL decision of August 7, 2025 and the Commissioner’s October 20, 2025 decision, the district would pay “employee #9213” a total of $301,450.18. The minutes described the payment as “salary less salary mitigation and other contract entitlements” under the contract, payable in three installments, with required pension payments.
The lawsuit further alleged that hostility toward Berenato began during the hiring process, when community members, district employees, union leadership, and board members discussed his sexual orientation and expressed fear he would push a “gay agenda.”
Berenato began serving as superintendent in February 2022 under a contract running through June 30, 2026. Manchester terminated him effective November 7, 2023, citing the alleged omission of the 2010 DWI conviction.