A gay former principal of Huntly West Primary School claims he was harassed by the school's board for being gay - he was called a "poofter" and locked himself in his office because he was scared, he says.

Barry Bloomfield, 56, was sacked from his role at the school after he pled guilty to fraud and theft - he'd obtained $17,000 for a relief teacher who did not exist, and sold the school's pool fence on TradeMe for $4,600 but told the school it had gone for only $80.

The NZ Herald now reveals that Bloomfield has gone to the Human Rights Commission with his claim of anti-gay harassment, but the school board's chairman says he had not known the principal was gay during his employment, and was now simply trying to make the school look bad.