BOMB THREATS AND CHAOS: How Oakville Trafalgar school was traumatized by Kayla Lemieux scandal
ONTARIO, CANADA: Kayla Lemieux, the teacher with Z-sized prosthetic breasts at Oakville Trafalgar High School in Canada, recently got suspended. This is not the first time the self-proclaimed intersex teacher's name is popping in news.
The teacher had once claimed, “I’m not wearing prosthetic breasts. These are real. My condition is classified as gigantomastia, which can also be referred to as macromastia or breast hypertrophy." Before she was suspended, parents and students were worried for their lives due to the school's tremendous support for Lemieux. In a recent report by The Star, a student even said, “I’m constantly in fear that we are going to get attacked." Here is a recap of the happenings that occurred at the school in relation to the scandal.
RELATED ARTICLES
'God-tier troll': Internet claims all Kayla Lemieux wanted was to sit at home and get paid
How did Kayla Lemieux become famous?
Lemieux became viral for wearing gigantic breasts in Oakville Trafalgar High School. She started gaining attention in September 2022 as she began teaching at Oakville Trafalgar High School in Ontario as her dress code went viral with the gigantic breasts. However, she has denied wearing prosthetics and said she’s “not a transgendered person” but was born intersex. “It affects women on a very rare basis, but in my case, I believe — and my doctor thinks — because I have XX chromosomes as well, that has something to do with it, and hormone sensitivity to estrogen has caused it,” Lemieux said.
Later, she was allegedly captured in the look of a man by The New York Post. However, Lemieux denied the claim. “I identify as a woman. Female. She/her,” Lemieux told The Post. “My whole life, I’ve been identifying as male. I’ve been looking like a male. When I decided to embrace this other side of me around age 39, this presented itself," Lemieux said.
The 39-year-old also said, “Intersex people can have a mixture of those two different sets of chromosomes. It can be something they don’t even know about. It can show up in other physical attributes at birth so it can be more obvious or less obvious, depending on the person."
What was the stand of the school and the controversy around it?
Though there were controversies around the same, Lemieux was heavily backed by the school administration. The Halton District School Board decided to prohibit students from clicking photos or videos of Lemieux. Students were even threatened with suspension, as per the decision of the Halton School District Board. A parent even claimed at that point, “Lemieux gets a personal escort (and) protection everywhere he goes."
“As you’re aware, we can’t comment on HR matters,” said school board spokesperson Heather Francey. "I can tell you that the HDSB does have a 'Responsible Use Procedures for Information and Communications Technology' policy," Francey said of students or staff taking photos on school premises. “It is routine practice for students to obtain permission of any subject at any time (including other students, staff, or any person) before capturing, using, and transmitting images or video. This policy helps guide that standard courtesy across our board,” Francey added.
In a statement, the school said, "As a school within the Halton District School Board (HDSB), Oakville Trafalgar High School recognizes the rights of students, staff, parents/guardians and community members to equitable treatment without discrimination based upon gender identity and gender expression. We strive to promote a positive learning environment in schools consistent with the values of the HDSB and to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all students, staff and the community, regardless of race, age, ability, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, cultural observance, socioeconomic circumstances or body type/size."
Did the school board plan a new dress code for teachers?
The Halton District School Board voted on a new dress code for teachers on Wednesday, March 1. "The draft policy is yet again an example of the HDSB's inability to develop a policy that will address the issue at hand — dress code and professionalism of teachers to ensure that students attend classes in an environment that is safe and distraction-free. Where is the urgency and willingness to work with parents and put the students first?" Celina Close, a spokesperson for Students First Ontario, said.
A parent claimed, "Parents and schools alike teach children about the importance of boundaries and consent. Boundaries define professionalism in the education system and must be upheld for all in order to restore public trust at the [school district]."
The board ultimately recommended that the Director of Education devise a professionalism policy "to maintain appropriate and professional standards of dress and decorum in the classroom," per the Halton District School Board.
What were the threats faced by the school in protecting Lemieux?
The Oakville Trafalgar High School, school officials, and Lemieux have been subjected to bomb and gun threats. "Constantly in fear that we are going to get attacked,” one student told the Star. “If we believe that students were in harm’s way at any point, schools would not be open,” said Curtis Ennis, a father of four, adding, “I want to reassure everyone that this is something that we take very, very seriously.”
Meanwhile, Lemieux has been currently suspended, as per The New York Post. “This should have happened six months ago,” an Oakville parent told New York Post. Al Saplys, a parent of 12th Grade student, said, "It’s the right thing to do.” “I’m pleased that he has been put on administrative leave. Quite frankly it’s a distraction nobody wants anymore and it will help return the school to a level of normalcy,” he added.