Teacher With Z-Cup Prosthetic Breasts Sparks Extra Security Measures for Students at New School

A high school in Ontario, Canada warned parents it is taking extra safety precautions because a teacher who'd previously gained international attention for having Z-cup prosthetic breasts has been hired to start at the school in the fall.

In a memo to parents, the principal of the Nora Frances Henderson Secondary School in Hamilton said the school would implement special measures to protect its students, the Toronto Sun reported. They will be required to enter and exit the building through assigned doors and must alert the school through an intercom system each time they leave.

Parents, meanwhile, have to call or email the school before they will be allowed to speak to any teachers or staff members. All exterior doors will remain locked during school hours as well, according to the memo.

Kayla Lemieux, who previously taught at Oakville-Trafalgar High School, about 23 miles outside of Toronto, went on paid leave in March after students took photos of her wearing breasts that stretched down past her stomach, which eventually circulated online and led to a media firestorm.

Lemiuex, who has been characterized as transgender in the media, had previously told the Sun that she is in fact intersex and has a rare chromosomal condition that makes her especially sensitive to estrogen, which results in excessive breast growth.

She did not offer medical documentation to support that claim, telling the Sun that her doctor had discussed the diagnosis in private conversations with her.

But the New York Post reported that she had been spotted on multiple occasions without her breasts, which a neighbor said she wears in public very infrequently.

In a March interview with the Post, Lemiuex said she had been undergoing hormone replacement therapy since 2021 and that the person spotted in the photos was someone else entirely.

Oakville-Trafalgar, where Lemieux taught until earlier this year, had faced several threats of violence, including a bomb threat sent via email that targeted individuals on the school board. Activists feared that the controversy could put students, especially trans kids, at risk of community violence.

Parents had repeatedly attended school board meetings earlier this year, urging staff to prioritize students' safety over teachers' right to express their identity.

Oakville-Trafalgar had initially ruled that Lemieux wasn't required to follow a dress code while in the classroom, warning that a mandated dress code could interfere with her civil rights.

But in January, it updated its policy to clarify that teachers should wear "appropriate and professional" attire while in the classroom.

The principal of Lemieux's new school, Tom Fisher, reassured parents that the safety measures were being taken out of precaution and that there were no specific threats against the school, which is set to start classes on September 5.