School Board Refuses
To Fire Transgender Teacher
by 365Gay.com from
the Web, February 28, 2006
Toms River, NJ -- A school
board in one of the most conservative counties in New Jersey Monday night
refused to bow to pressure from a small group of parents who demanded the
removal of a transgendered teacher.
Lily B. McBeth took a leave of absence from her job as a substitute teacher with
the Eagleswood School District last year and at age 69 transitioned. When
her physical transformation was complete she petitioned the board to return to
work. The board voted 41 to 1 to return her to her old job.
When a small group of a parents realized that Mr McBeth was now Ms McBeth they
demanded the board rescind its decision. One parent, Mark Schnepp, took
out a full-page newspaper ad urging parents to attend the Board of Education's
Monday meeting.
About 100 people showed up.
"The children will learn of this and there will be problems," said Vincent
Mustacchio, 48, who has a daughter in the school system.
Mustacchio told the board he may keep his child out of classes taught by McBeth.
Schnepp said that having a transgender teaching his two children violated his
religious beliefs.
But most of the speakers praised McBeth calling her well liked by children and
an asset to the school system.
Prior to the meeting the school board met privately with McBeth and her
attorney.
After listening to both sides of the issue during the public meeting the board,
without a vote, said it would not amend its early decision.
The Eagleswood School District is in Ocean County the scene of a bitter fight to
win spousal benefits for the domestic partner of a dying police officer.
State law leaves it up to municipalities to decide whether to grant benefits to
the same-sex partners of workers.
After months of refusing to consider the benefits county freeholders agreed
earlier this month to Lt. Laurel Hester's final request following a public
outcry.
Hester died February 18.
(Abridged, Emphasis
Added.)
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