What’s More Unfair?

When a middle school teacher leaves for the summer as he and plans to return as she, is it unfair to students? More or less unfair than it would be to re-assign the teacher?

Ms. McCaffrey is the teacher I’m speaking of. She’s been teaching for twelve years and had her surgery in February, after which she returned to school in a jacket and tie to not cause a commotion.

McCaffrey has chosen to wait for the summer to share the news of her surgery with students and parents so they may have more time to come to terms with everything.

As for whether or not she will be re-assigned in September, Janie Edmunds, the district’s superintendent of schools, would not comment.

The one thing I’m sure of: Ms. McCaffrey shouldn’t have to wait and wonder. Schools need to take a stance on trans issues and be clear, during the hiring process, about what will happen when a teacher or any employee transitions.

Should you hear any updated news, please share it with us!

Marti Abernathey is the founder of the Transadvocate and the previous managing editor. Abernathey has worn many different hats, including that of podcaster, activist, and radiologic technologist. She's been a part of various internet radio ventures such as TSR Live!, The T-Party, and The Radical Trannies, TransFM, and Sodium Pentathol Sunday. As an advocate she's previously been involved with the Indiana Transgender Rights Advocacy Alliance, Rock Indiana Campaign for Equality, and the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition. She's taken vital roles as a grass roots community organizer in The Indianapolis Tax Day Protest (2003), The Indy Pride HRC Protest (2004), Transgender Day of Remembrance (2004), Indiana's Witch Hunt (2005), and the Rally At The Statehouse (the largest ever GLBT protest in Indiana - 3/2005). In 2008 she was a delegate from Indiana to the Democratic National Convention and a member of Barack Obama's LGBT Steering and Policy Committee. Abernathey currently hosts the Youtube Channel "The T-Party with Marti Abernathey."

4 Comments

  1. I’ve been in contact with Kerry McCaffrey and although she’s been under extraordinary stress, she seems to be fine. Her school and employer has been supportive as well as most of her neighbors. She has a number of local trans friends that appear to give her support.

    We got a couple of letters published in the major daily that were very positive (including mine),that clearly seemed to overwhelm the couple of obtuse negative public comments. Even though she lives in a bastion of conservative Republicans, I’ve heard nothing from her homophobic neocon legislators.

    they wouldn’t dare! We’d embarrass the hell out of them! The state of New Jersey has quietly added Gender Identity or Expression to their EEO policy for state employees, including colleges. the public announcement of this should be timed just as our legislation is vented in committee!

    We are almost there!

  2. I’ve been in contact with Kerry McCaffrey and although she’s been under extraordinary stress, she seems to be fine. Her school and employer has been supportive as well as most of her neighbors. She has a number of local trans friends that appear to give her support.

    We got a couple of letters published in the major daily that were very positive (including mine),that clearly seemed to overwhelm the couple of obtuse negative public comments. Even though she lives in a bastion of conservative Republicans, I’ve heard nothing from her homophobic neocon legislators.

    they wouldn’t dare! We’d embarrass the hell out of them! The state of New Jersey has quietly added Gender Identity or Expression to their EEO policy for state employees, including colleges. the public announcement of this should be timed just as our legislation is vented in committee!

    We are almost there!

Comments are closed.