71-year-old returns to teaching after sex change

**Algernon** · February 28th, 2006, 05:09 PM

http://www.modbee.com/24hour/nation/...11920556c.html

EAGLESWOOD TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) - To students at Eagleswood Elementary School, she used to be Mr. McBeth. Now, after undergoing a sex change, 71-year-old Lily McBeth is ready to return to teaching as Miss McBeth.

Despite criticism from parents, the school board on Monday stood by its decision to allow McBeth to resume working as a substitute teacher.

After two hours of public debate and a private meeting with McBeth and her lawyer, the board took no action on calls by several parents to bar McBeth from returning to the school where she taught for five years before becoming a woman.

"It was magnificent," McBeth said afterward. "You saw democracy in action."

McBeth, a retired sales executive who was married for 33 years and had three children, underwent gender reassignment surgery last year and re-applied for her job under her new name.

McBeth on Monday told the school board and the crowd that she loves teaching and children, and looks forward to returning to the classroom.

"This is not something I got into just as a whim," she said.

Several parents said children in the school - which consists of kindergarten through sixth grade - were not old enough to understand the concept of changing one's gender.

"I, as a parent, am appalled to have this issue brought into my child's psychology," Steve Bond said.

Vincent Mustacchio predicted "chaos" at the school when the students learned of McBeth's surgery.

Young children will be confused by the conflicting appearance of McBeth, who has a deep voice and masculine features but otherwise looks like a woman, other parents said.

"I will not allow you to put my kids in a petri dish and hope it all turns out fine," said Mark Schnepp, who had taken out an ad in a local newspaper urging parents to turn out for the meeting.

Several people spoke in support of McBeth, including three transgender people, two former students of McBeth's and a handful of others, saying that the fact that she is a good teacher was more important than whether she appears as a man or a woman in class.

"There's really nothing to fear because a person is transgender," said Karina Mari, a mother of three school-age children who said she has transgender relatives.

School board attorney Paul Carr said McBeth was a good teacher who had received favorable reviews during her tenure as a substitute.

Earlier this month, the board voted 4-1 to accept her application to return to the classroom.

It's unclear how soon McBeth will resume teaching, Carr said. That depends on the need for substitutes and the availability of certified teachers who get priority when a spot opens up, he said.

Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, a gay rights advocacy group supporting McBeth's bid to resume teaching, called the school board's action historic.

How cool is that?

**LynnieD** · February 28th, 2006, 05:19 PM

Well, like he/she said, he/she didn't just do this on a whim!
God bless he/she!

No seriously, whatever....this is so not an issue that should concern anyone other than the person going through the reassignment for gods sake....

**Laurent** · February 28th, 2006, 05:25 PM

Good for her and good for the school board for recognizing a good teacher.

I love how the parents don't want their children to be "confused". People projecting their own harsh judgment onto their children yet again. Children are far more confused by their parents acting like assholes than they are any disparity in their teacher's appearance and voice.

**NawdleZouss** · February 28th, 2006, 06:22 PM

**Grimmlok** · February 28th, 2006, 06:45 PM

^^ "Who wants to pound my Vag!"

**FierceKiten** · February 28th, 2006, 07:48 PM

That's some nasty Pootang Mr.Garrison

**Lobelia** · February 28th, 2006, 09:15 PM

All I can think of is how old skin doesn't snap back from surgery well.

**ourmaninBusan** · February 28th, 2006, 09:59 PM

Don't you people see what the real problem is here?

71-year-old Lily McBeth is ready to return to teaching ...

It's someone voluntarily returning to teach in a classroom.
If that isn't a sign of diminished capacity, I don't know what is.

**Algernon** · March 1st, 2006, 01:30 PM

^^^^

omg you are so right.

**AliceInWonderland** · March 2nd, 2006, 01:48 PM

omg how sad that she had to wait all her life to become a woman, when I'm rich I'm gonna help people like this w/ financial problems become the sex they were supposed to be. Has anyone seen TransGeneration the show on the Sundance channel or IFS? well it was good but sad, I think it'd be horrible to live in a body of the wrong gender.

**Zee** · March 2nd, 2006, 09:41 PM

I worked with a preoperative transsexual. Gotta tell you it confused the living daylights out of me. I can't imagine being a child dealing with this issue.

One day, after a holiday weekend he came dressed as a woman and made his announcement. For me, it was pretty hard coming to grips with- Friday I was a man and Tuesday you will now address me as a woman. Until you have lived the moment, you really never know how you are going to react.