10-05-2025
Former superintendent and principal sue Bloomfield School District
BLOOMFIELD, N.M. (KRQE) – From the classroom to the courthouse, spouses Kevin and Heather Summers are suing their former employer, the Bloomfield School District. 'It really just comes down to, you know, some people pointed out there were some things going wrong and when they voiced their opinion, they were retaliated against them for that,' said Blair Dunn, attorney for the Summers.
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According to the lawsuit, Kevin Summers was superintendent of the district while his wife, Heather, was principal of Bloomfield High School in early 2024. It was then that the boys' wrestling team for the high school won the state championship in 2024. The lawsuit claims Kevin became aware of questionable spending on championship rings and began investigating. The suit claims it appears school board vice president Tony DeHerrera and Athletic Director Ben Tensay got championship rings paid for by the school's general fund, costing more than $2,000.
According to the lawsuit, a second payment of more than $3,000 was for championship rings for the kids. 'They used the school's money to buy rings for adults rather than for the kids and then tried to conceal where those funds came from,' said Dunn.
In early 2025, Superintendent Kevin Summers was placed on administrative leave and later terminated by the board.
Attorneys for the defendants said they cannot comment at this point due to the pending litigation but court documents show the board claims he created a hostile work environment and interfered with athletics. The court documents also show the board claimed Summers allowed his wife to 'wield political capital that comes with being married to the Superintendent' that has caused 'harm to the district.' The lawsuit claims his firing was out of retaliation and notes a peaceful protest that occurred after he was placed on leave.
The suit claims his wife was also fired from her role as principal out of retaliation. 'Unnecessary for the kids up there and not at all how this should've been handled,' said Dunn.
The lawsuit is currently making its way through federal court.
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