Real-life lesson when he returns to teach as a she Sex change at Mendham school

A teacher at Mountain View Middle School in Mendham Borough left his classroom in June as a man, and plans to return to school next month as a woman.

Some parents and teachers have accepted teacher Kerri McCaffrey's decision to embrace his feminine identity and undergo gender reassignment surgery. A few others have concerns about whether middle school-age children should have to deal with such issues.

"I just want to be Kerri McCaffrey, a great teacher like I've always been," said the 41-year-old language arts teacher. "I'm a good influence on children, and I've dedicated my life to them."

After struggling with her identity since the age of the 7, marrying and becoming a parent of two, and teaching for 12 years, McCaffrey underwent gender reassignment surgery in February and returned to school wearing a jacket and tie to avoid disruption, she said.

"If I came out with this in February, I wouldn't have been able to teach because it would have caused such a commotion," McCaffrey said. "I could not be selfish and hurt the kids in the middle of the year."

The summer, she decided, would be a good transition period for students and parents to hear about the surgery, get answers and accept it. But McCaffrey, who grew up in Madison as Herb McCaffrey and lives near Mendham Borough, said she has tried to stay low key these past few months.

"I didn't think it was fair to run into people in town who knew me as Herb, as a Little League coach, just weeks after I did this," she said.

Superintendent Janie Edmunds said she could not comment specifically about McCaffrey because personnel issues and medical issues are involved.

HOBOKEN SETTLES LAWSUIT WITH TRANSSEXUAL EX-COP.

The legal wrangles between a Hoboken police officer who had a sex change and the city are over. Hoboken and the former officer, Janet Aiello, settled her civil rights lawsuit in June. Aiello's lawyer, Linda B. Kenney, declined Tuesday to disclose terms of the deal, aside from noting that each side recognized the other was acting honorably.

The Hoboken city attorney, Robert Murray, did not return a call seeking comment. Aiello retired in December 1997 as a lieutenant after 25 years on the force. Aiello, who had been known as John Aiello, began taking female hormones in 1993 and decided in February 1995 to go on sick leave to begin the "real-life test," a yearlong experiment in living openly as a woman. Doctors require such a test before approving a sex change operation.

The Hoboken Police Department filed charges against Aiello stemming from several incidents in which the police chief, through officers, requested that Aiello come back to work. She failed to respond to those requests over a period of several weeks in September 1995. When the chief finally issued a direct order in October 1995, Aiello reported for duty. Last year, Aiello won a victory when a state appellate court ruled that the department's disciplinary charges against her were rightfully dismissed.

Transgender Teacher Angers Eagleswood Parent
Man, Turned Woman, Working As Substitute Teacher

February 22, 2006

EAGLESWOOD TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- At least one parent at the Jersey Shore is upset with a decision to let a transgender teacher back into the classroom. The substitute teacher told NBC 10 News that her new gender has no effect on her ability to teach. Lilly Macbeth has been a teacher for five years at Eagleswood Township Elementary School.

This year, after some time off, she is ready to teach again, but at least one parent is fighting Macbeth's return to the class because the last time Macbeth was teaching at Eaglewood, she was a man. "My life is an open book and I'm proud of that," Macbeth said. Macbeth did not change her gender on a whim. "My path in life had me as a father of three and a husband for 33 years," Macbeth said.

But something sparked a change -- a change Macbeth is still undergoing. She was known most of her life as William and now, as Lily, she is a substitute teacher for three school districts, including Eagleswood. "The fact that (she) taught there as a man first, and now coming back as a woman is just a huge distraction," said Mark Schnepp, a parent of an Eagleswood student.

Schnepp appears to be leading the way to try and prevent Macbeth from returning to the classroom. "I just wanted to let everyone know what's going on and so I took out an ad," Schnepp said. The ad urged parents to show up at next Monday's school board meeting. "The gentleman that took out the ad had every right to do so as long as things like that don't step on others' freedom. What can you do?" Macbeth said. Schnepp, who is a Methodist, said that Macbeth's sex change is against his religion and the school board is violating his rights if Macbeth enters a classroom.

"The only thing surrounding this issue is fear -- fear of the unknown," Macbeth said. Macbeth said that the school board has invited her to speak with them at a closed session at Monday's regular school board meeting. She said the board hasn't taken any action, but Schnepp said that he wants her barred from teaching. School board members would not comment on the issue. http://www.nbc10.com/news/7340436/detail.html?rss=phi&psp=news http://nbc10.feedroom.com/iframeset.jsp?ord=792695 http://www.nbc10.com/slideshow/news/7340916/detail.html?qs=1;s=1;dm=ss;p=news;w=400 http://images.ibsys.com/2006/0222/7340880.jpg

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