For nine years, he was Mr. McBeth, a substitute teacher who kept things moving along in the classroom and filled in ably when the regular teacher was out sick.
And then one September, he was Miss McBeth.
The sex-change operation William McBeth underwent in 2005 roiled this rural, conservative area when she applied to be rehired as a substitute in Eagleswood Township. Parents packed a school board meeting last winter, some decrying what they termed an experiment, with their young children as guinea pigs; others supported her right to be who she is and work at what she does best.
But then a strange thing happened a few months later: When McBeth was up for a job at a different school in the area, no one protested. In fact, no one voiced an opinion at all when she was hired.
“There’s no doubt about it; they’ve calmed down,” said McBeth, a retired marketing executive and divorced father of three.
“There’s no reason I shouldn’t teach,” said McBeth. “Look at me as a person: Am I qualified to teach? Yes. Do I have experience? Yes. Do I have a good report card from the schools? Yes. I have nothing to hide, and I’m proud of who I am.”
She said she erred by not keeping her certification as a substitute teacher current while she was out of work during the surgery. That required her to reapply, and set the stage in February for a contentious school board meeting in Eagleswood, a community near Atlantic City. One parent, Mark Schnepp, took out a full-page ad in a local newspaper urging parents to oppose the hiring.
When McBeth was up for rehiring at the Pinelands Regional School system in September, no one said a word.
“I personally don’t think there’s anything wrong with it,” said Katie MacPhee, a student at Pinelands Regional High School. “I can see where some people might have concerns, but people just need to get over it.”
We discussed this back in March. The original article is gone from CNN’s website. But, if you want to look back at your comments — they’re here.
While I agree that this bias shouldn’t be OK, it should be OK for parents to have their children removed from his/her class… or for that matter the school… and have them put into another public school.
The fact that this is a public school means it is the public’s decision, right or wrong, on what environment the school promotes (as long as it is within the law). If the majority of parents’ wishes are being ignored then they should have the right to take action.
Personally, if my child was in Lady McBeth’s class, I’d carefully gauge their reaction to his/her choice and have my child reassigned if I felt that reaction was negative.
How intelligent of me.
It would be interesting to know if they have a process in place to handle students whose parents do not want them in Victor/Victoria’s class, and if that process includes a certain level of discretion for the students.
I have to do this, “Out. out damn spot”
She’s a HOTTIE!!!
Once again real life imitates South Park.
I’m glad McBeth got her job back. It should have been a no-brainer to begin with.
Can we all agree that if you want a sex change operation that you must at least look a little like the sex you want to be?
I was raised in a nice catholic school.
This person, who has had a sex change to be a women, although still not a knock-out, still looks more feminine that some of the women that taught me over the years.
I’m totally confused now… I’ll be in the corner in the fetal position if anyone needs me…
#8
In the catholic school I was, there was a nun with metallic teeth pretty much in the Marilyn Manson style.
#5…Mr. Fusion….totally agree…what was the problem I wonder?
#6…Pedro….being Gay has nothing to do with legitimate sex change. Most(97%) of men or woman who have sex changes have never been gay nor do they have feelings for their own sex……nor have they ever had a gay experience. They feel(and many Psychologists agree) that they are women (or men) trapped in a man(or womans) body. While some gays do have the surgury, they usually aren’t any happier.
#7…Sounds the Alarm…..thats just plain nasty thing to say…..true….but nasty none the less. 🙂
surgery for no reason still seems odd and …uhhh….insane to me. And, to lop off your member to try and join the “other sex” just seems ill advised and neurotic.
I’m sorry, but just having your exterior plumbing altered does NOT make you a woman. Just makes you a guy without a dick, dressing funny. They’re always weird…haven’t met a trannie that didn’t have the same issues AFTER gender reassignment, as before. (And, I’ve known dozens)