Tucson High School Teacher Faces Suspension Following Viral Transgenderism Lecture

By Staff Reporter |

Marana High School in Tucson is seeing a significant shift in its faculty after the suspension of physics teacher Les Beard. His suspension follows a controversial classroom discussion regarding intersex conditions, specifically androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS), and gender identity.

Beard’s suspension was made public when independent journalist James O’Keefe released a recording of his remarks during a class. In the lecture, Beard explained that individuals with AIS can exhibit characteristics of both male and female anatomy, challenging statements made by former President Donald Trump regarding gender diversity.

“But usually all of these women have female sex organs; they do have male sex organs as well,” Beard stated. His lecture raised eyebrows, particularly his assertion that the medical community often categorizes these individuals without acknowledging their lived experiences.

Following Beard’s comments, Trump had recently issued an executive order defining gender strictly as male or female, a position that Beard publicly contested. This has reignited the conversation on how gender identity is taught in schools.

AIS is one of the many intersex variations characterized by atypical sexual anatomy, where individuals generally have XY chromosomes but may present with female physical traits due to hormonal responses. Critics like Beard argue that the binary understanding of gender fails to encompass such complexities.

In response to the situation, Marana High School District’s spokesperson, Allison Benjamin, emphasized the importance of maintaining neutrality in teaching. She stated, “Our district is committed to making sure these policies are clear and honored by all staff,” reinforcing the expectation that educators adhere to state standards without injecting personal beliefs into the curriculum.

This incident underscores a growing divide in educational approaches to gender identity and the discourse surrounding it in contemporary society. The school district’s handling of this matter may set a precedent for how similar topics are treated in future academic settings.