Brookline Principal: 'I’m Transgender'

BROOKLINE, MA — On June 7 a Brookline principal announced to families that he is transgender. The Heath School's Asa Cain Sevelius is the first administrator to come out as transgender in the school district and may be one of the first in the country to do so publicly.

"Dear Heath Community, I am writing to all of you to share some powerful news about me... I am transgender," wrote Sevelius in an email home to families June 7. He went on to explain that it was because of his public role he made the decision to let the school community know about his transition.

Superintendent Andrew Bott immediately threw his support behind the principal in a statement following Sevelius' email to Heath School families.

"I appreciate and deeply respect Dr. Sevelius. He is being open, courageous, and honest. As he wrote to families, his transition has come after many years, prolonged introspection, and careful and critical conversations with family and close friends. I fully agree with what Dr. Sevelius said in his letter to families -- the ability to live life openly and authentically will make him a stronger, more effective school leader," said Bott.

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Sevelius joined the Heath School team as vice principal in 2014 before taking over as interim principal the following year and permanent principal this year.

Sevelius has long been active in helping to support students in the district when it comes to issues of gender identity. He is part of a Gender Identity Leadership Group working at putting together district protocols and training sessions on how to support students who come forward asking teachers or the administration for support as they transition or question their gender.

Although officials at the office of the superintendent said they didn’t keep track of the number of students coming forward in Brookline asking for support as they transitioned, anecdotally each school has students who identify as gender expansive or are questioning their gender.

In 2012 Massachusetts passed the Act Relative to Gender Identity, which prohibited schools from discriminating against transgender students.

Earlier this year district administrators and the School Committee made an announcement to the community that, regardless of gender identity, all students and staff should feel accepted in town after President Donald Trump indicated he would roll back some protections.

“The changes at the federal level have no impact or effect on our commitment to transgender students,” said Bott on March 2.

Sevelius did not immediately return request for comment, but in an early Twitter post it appeared community members were responding positively.

Last month a principal/superintendent came out in California as transgender; the local newspaper there reported that administrator might be the first in the country to do so.

National Center for Transgender Equality's Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, herself a Brookline High School grad and the first openly transgender woman to work at the White House, said the NCTE was not aware of any large number of administrators who have transitioned and come out on the job.

"You do tend to hear about teachers a bit more," she said. "I imagine in the coming years this will be more of a common occurrence."

Although numbers of people who identify as transgender are difficult to come by, the center estimates that around 1 percent of the population is transgender.

As for what the Heath School's news means in a larger context, said Freedman-Gurspan, "It's another story that's about someone being true to themselves and honestly a role model," she said. "I can imagine a kid thinking 'if my principal can feel free to be who they are, I can be myself too.' I think that's the overall message," she said.

Still, she cautioned folks not to see Sevelius as just transgender; "They're still the same person they always were."

Here's the full letter Sevelius sent to families:

Photo of the Heath School in Brookline By Jenna Fisher/ Patch

In addition to the links the Heath School Principal supplied here are a number of links to websites that Ryan Burns at LostCoastOutpost.com put together that may be helpful for those hoping to learn more about trans issues.

• Trans Youth Equality Foundation “provides education, advocacy and support for transgender and gender non-conforming children and youth and their families.”
• GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) which aims “to create safe and affirming schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.”
• GenderDiversity.org offers education on the “wide range of gender diversity in children, adolescents, and adults by providing family support, building community, increasing societal awareness, and improving the well-being for people of all gender identities and expressions.”
• TransStudent.org offers resources for education, services and medical and legal issues.
• Genderspectrum.org has the aim of helping anyone learn more about how to talk to kids about trans topics in an age-appropriate way.