Transgender Principal Faces Another Choice After Public Announcement

BROOKLINE, MA — When Asa Sevellius happened to hear about a principal in California coming out publicly in May as transgender and transitioning he sent a note congratulating the administrator. The following month, among the hundreds of messages that came pouring into his own inbox after Sevellius became the second administrator in the country to announce his transition publicly, that congratulations was returned to him.

In many ways it was back to normal for Sevellius, principal of Brookline's Heath School, nearly a week after he sent a letter home to parents explaining that he was transitioning from a "her" to a "him" and wanted to head any guessing or confusion off at the pass.

His world did not stop, nor was there much of an interruption to things at the school - he was floored when he came in the day after his announcement to find staff members and parents wearing pink and blue ribbons to show their support for his decision to come out. Aside from offers to come visit classrooms to follow up if need be - should there be any questions among the students - all feels very normal. The chorus and the ukulele class still croon outside his office, the staff sit at a round table in the main office hashing out the details of some project, and he still has his regular staff meeting to go to. And he continues, as principal of a K-8 with hundreds of students to be a role model.

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Except that Sevellius has become something of a role model for more than just his school community.

"People, many of whom I don't know, are emailing me," he said on a sunny afternoon near the end of the school year holding a stack of crayon decorated cards in his office. "There's been an avalanche of supportive messages."

And not just people sending love from places like Portland and Chicago; but people telling him that because of his decision to transition on the job, they feel like they now aren't alone and have the courage to come out, too.

"I didn't expect that," he said. Nor did he expect to be treated like a minor celebrity when he went to Boston's Pride Parade. Small children stood in awe of him, people pointed at him and said "That's the Principal." They stopped him to come talk, to shake his hand, and to snap selfies with him.

"I'm not going to lie, it was pretty amazing," he says.

Amazing not for the attention, but for what it symbolizes.

It took Sevellius months of back and forth and planning and conversations with his family and friends before he finally, very publicly shared his news with the community and the rest of the country.

When he did, he braced himself and hoped for the best.

"There are always those people who think this is some kind of mental illness," he said. He wasn't trying to get attention, he wasn't trying to become the next symbol of transgender rights or equality. He was just living his truth and knew on some level that a byproduct would be that it would help others do the same along the way. It's something the school where he is principal attempts to instill in students, as is evidenced by the signs on the doors and walls.

'I know you're a boy now'

In late June a young student walked up to him in the hall and said "I know you're a boy now." To which Sevellius smiled and asked him about his day. And that was that. The students sent him cards of support but have mostly taken it in stride. His own daughter and his family also had positive responses.

"There comes a time when you can't function in the closet any more. And it's very scary to come out. Whether at the dining room table or not. But on the other side of the fence there's a lot of light," he said.

But with the announcement and those emails letting him know how much his news influenced them, may come added responsibility, he acknowledges.

"It does leave me at a crossroads of sorts," he said about whether he would take a larger public role in transgender causes in the area. "I'm still trying to figure that out: What are my obligations to the community at large?"

Still, this summer he's doing what all principals do in the summer, he said. Preparing for the next school year come what may.

"But if opportunity arises to use any of my privilege to help other people, I'd have to consider that seriously," he said before noting that it's the work as a principal at Heath that affords him a role he feels passionate about. "This is not going to be a community that sits down in the face of injustice for anyone. It's part of the work we do here."

Town support

The Commission for Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations recently recognized Sevelius and pledged to use he/him/his pronouns when speaking with him, applauding his bravery at making a very personal decision public.

"The Commission is proud to have Dr. Sevelius as a member of the Town’s workforce and a leader within the Brookline Public Schools. The Commission believes that the ability to live life openly and authentically will make Dr. Sevelius a stronger, more effective school leader," reads a statement by the commission.

The commission went on to pledge support for all transgender persons in the community.

And for their part, parents and families of students at Heath are in agreement.

"The school has done a really good job of making all people of all shapes and forms over the past couple of years feel included," said Olga St. Clair a mother of five who added none of her kids felt taken aback by the news. "He is a wonderful teacher and I think the community will support him. We're lucky to have him."

Related stories:

Teachable Moment: Transgender Principal Comes Out

Brookline Principal: 'I'm transgender'

Photos of Asa Sevellius and the Heath School by Jenna Fisher/Patch