A gay Vermont school superintendent says he was detained, separated from his husband, and subjected to hours of abusive questioning in Texas by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers while returning from a trip to Nicaragua this week in an incident his local school board condemned as inhumane, unjust, and deeply disturbing.Wilmer Chavarria, a U.S. citizen and superintendent of the Winooski School District, says he was held for more than five hours at Houstons George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Monday. Chavarria and his husband, Essex High School teacher Cyrus Dudgeon, were returning from visiting family in Nicaragua when they were stopped during Global Entry processing. Only Chavarria was detained.Seven Days Vermont reports that in a message to district leaders, Chavarria said officers seized his phone and laptop, denied him access to counsel, and interrogated him in four separate rooms. CBP agents allegedly cast doubt on his citizenship, questioned the legitimacy of his 15-year relationship, and challenged his employment status. His husband was not detained.Related: Trump administration stops abuse protection for transgender detainees in ICE custodyThey 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. He described the experience as nothing short of surreal and the definition of psychological terror.In an interview with Vermont CBS affiliate WCAX, Chavarria said CBP agents attempted to access his school-issued computer, which contains sensitive student data. He refused to provide his passwords without consulting the districts legal counsel. I continued to ask for a lawyer, at least to ask the district lawyer to give me the go-ahead to provide that information, and they continued to refuse, he told the station.Chavarria said he was also asked about the sincerity of his marriage and whether he was truly a superintendent. He said he believes his detention was politically motivated. Ive been very vocal and a big advocate for the protection of vulnerable communities in the state of Vermont and the nation, he told WCAX. Im in a very critical and visible position, and Im not surprised when things like this happen. He warned that its going to get worse if people dont mobilize quickly.Chavarria, who was born in a Honduran refugee camp and grew up in Nicaragua, came to the U.S. as a student and became a citizen in 2018. He holds two masters degrees, including one from Harvard University. He has led the Vermont school district since 2023.The Winooski School Board released a statement Tuesday, standing firmly behind Chavarria and calling on elected 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, the statement continued.Seven Days Vermont, which first reported the story, noted that Chavarria had never experienced this kind of treatment before, not while traveling on a student visa, nor as a green card holder, nor as a naturalized citizen. You think its less likely to happen when youre a full U.S. citizen, he said. Thats why I was so shaken by the whole thing.On Tuesday morning, just before boarding a flight home to Vermont, Chavarria received an email notice from CBP informing him that his previously approved Global Entry status had been revoked, without justification.Rep. Becca Balint, the first out LGBTQ+ member of Congress from Vermont, was not immediately available for an interview, but a spokesperson directed our sister site, The Advocate , to a speech she delivered on the House floor Tuesday evening.I take to the floor today because Im angry, and so are Vermonters, Balint said. We are furious because of what happened yesterday to a Vermonter, a U.S. citizen, as he attempted to return home. 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.Balint added: 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 were 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 color of their skin and the sound of their last name, she continued, we need to hold onto our collective outrage. We do not need to accept this. This is not what Americans want.In response to The Advocates request for comment, a CBP spokesperson did not address Chavarrias case directly but said that every traveler entering the United States is subject to inspection, which CBP considers essential to safeguarding national security.CBP officers treat all travelers with integrity, respect, professionalism, and according to law, the agency said. The spokesperson added that searches of electronic devices are rare, highly regulated, and have been used in identifying and combating serious crimes, and that travelers are required to present electronic devices in a condition that allows examination. While U.S. citizens will not be denied entry for refusing to unlock their devices, their property may be detained or excluded, and processing times may be increased.CBP emphasized that passcodes are destroyed once no longer needed and may not be used to access remotely stored information.