Gay School Superintendent Detained By U.S. Customs In “Deeply Disturbing” Incident

A gay school superintendent from Vermont was detained, separated from his husband, and subjected to hours of “inhumane” questioning in Texas by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers while returning from a trip to Nicaragua earlier this week.

Wilmer Chavarria, superintendent of the Winooski School District, has spoken out about his terrifying experience, and says he was held for more than five hours at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Monday.

Chavarria and his husband, high school teacher Cyrus Dudgeon, were returning to the States after visiting family in Nicaragua when they were stopped during Global Entry processing, a program that allows pre-approved “low risk” travellers to get expedited clearance when entering the country. Chavarria was the only one detained.

“They falsely stated that I, a U.S. citizen, have no Constitutional rights at a point of entry, and officers became increasingly agitated as I continued to assert my rights regardless,” Chavarria wrote in an email to school district leaders about the incident.

U.S Customs and Border Protection agents confiscated Chavarria’s phone and laptop, and took him to an interrogation room where they questioned his relationship and told him he had no right to legal counsel.

Authorities interrogated Chavarria in four separate rooms, and at one point, had four officers questioning him at once.

They also demanded the passcodes to his district-issued laptop, containing private student information.

He described the experience as being “nothing short of surreal and the definition of psychological terror.”

Talking to Vermont CBS affiliate WCAX, Chavarria said he believes his detainment was politically motivated.

“I’ve been very vocal and a big advocate for the protection of vulnerable communities in the state of Vermont and the nation,” he said. “I’m in a very critical and visible position, and I’m not surprised when things like this happen.”

Vermont representative: “this is not what Americans want”

The Winooski School Board released a statement on Tuesday, calling on officials to investigate.

“Despite being a United States citizen, Superintendent Chavarria was separated from his husband and treated in a manner that is deeply disturbing and unacceptable,” the board wrote. “Superintendent Chavarria is an exemplary leader and a beloved member of the Winooski School District community. His commitment to our students, families, and staff is unwavering.”

“While we are aware that such detentions are increasingly becoming more common across the country, we must be clear: this is not normal. It is wrong. It is inhumane. It is unjust.”

Born in a Honduran refugee camp, Chavarria grew up in Nicaragua before coming to the U.S. as a student. He became a citizen in 2018, and has led the Vermont school district since 2023.

“You think it’s less likely to happen when you’re a full U.S. citizen,” he told local paper Seven Days Vermont. “That’s why I was so shaken by the whole thing.”

In a speech on the House floor, Rep. Becca Balint, the first out LGBTQIA+ member of Congress from Vermont, condemned Chavarria’s treatment.

“We are furious because of what happened yesterday to a Vermonter, a U.S. citizen, as he attempted to return home,” she said. “Wilmer Chavarria is a community leader. He is a school superintendent in my state. He was held and interrogated for hours by CBP agents and given no reason for his detainment.”

“Wilmer called the experience ‘psychological terror’. Again, we are talking about a U.S. citizen here. So when we say this can happen to any of us, this is what we’re talking about. This kind of violation of our constitutional rights is how leaders use terror to intimidate us into silence.”

“When community leaders, school superintendents, are being detained because of the colour of their skin and the sound of their last name, we need to hold onto our collective outrage,” she continued. “We do not need to accept this. This is not what Americans want.”