Halton school board prepares for backlash over trans high school teacher

Submitted by AP

Via The Toronto Sun

The Halton District School Board is “standing behind” an “accepted” transgender teacher who has gone viral in social media video posts. In addition, HDSB Chair Margo Shuttleworth tells the Toronto Sun that staff are looking at “going through creating a safety plan” to ensure the Oakville Trafalgar High School teacher’s security as they prepare for potential protests when the school opens for classes Monday.

Protecting any persons “gender rights” is “the stance the school board is taking and they are standing behind the teacher,” said Shuttleworth.Pre-transitioning the teacher was known to students and faculty as a male and went by a man’s name.

But the teacher now identifies as a woman and is referenced with a female name.The school board says it sees her simply as a good teacher.“This teacher (who teaches shop) is an extremely effective teacher,” said Shuttleworth. “All the kids really love being in the class.”

But videos posted to social media showing the Oakville industrial arts teacher, who began identifying as female last year, appearing in class with large prosthetic breasts while operating a circular saw has created much commentary.

As a result Shuttleworth said she articulated to those who run the board’s day-to-day operations that “we can’t just wait around and see what happens because I am quite confident it won’t be a normal return to school Monday,”

Already, thanks to videos recorded by students, the school has been receiving comments on the matter.“There will the protesters and the anti-protesters,” said Shuttleworth. “I do know there have been phone calls made to the school that haven’t been the most pleasant in nature.”

She said her position to HDSB Director of Education Curtis Ennis is to “make sure she (the teacher) is protected” and “ensure that everybody remains safe.”

The Sun has reached out to the teacher for comment but so far has not received a response.

The teacher, who the Sun has decided not to name at this point, has not had any previous issues that have come to the attention of the board.“We have had no phone calls prior to this, saying anything about it,” said Shuttleworth.But having said that, Shuttleworth acknowledges “there had to be some disconnect because one of the students created this video.”Some of that concern has been expressed on social media, including one student taking to Twitter to write “the kids here most definitely don’t think it’s normal… but realistically we can’t say anything. Last year, the teacher was a man. I don’t think the school can fire him.”

In fact, Shuttleworth said the employee will be supported, adding “the teacher is completely accepted and welcomed into the school community as far as the staff is concerned.”

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