Lee Livengood, the West Virginia high school principal suspended without pay for his harassment of a transgender student, just returned to work and already has landed himself in trouble…again.
Liberty High School Assistant Principal Lee Livengood landed himself in hot water last November after he followed a transgender student, Michael Critchfield, into the men’s room. There he demanded Critchfield use a urinal to prove his maleness. When Critchfield refused, Livengood remarked “I’m not going to lie: You freak me out” and refused to let the 15-year-old student leave the bathroom.
Critchfield’s parents immediately got involved, as did the administration at Liberty High School where Critchfield attends. Livengood received an unpaid suspension pending a resolution between Harrison County schools, and the American Civil Liberties Union, which offered to represent Critchfield and his family. In January, the two announced an agreement which would see Livengood return to work.
Related: West Virginia’s Phantom-Homophobia Bill Just Went Down in Flames
Now, the ACLU alleges, Livengood and the Harrison County school system have failed in their good-faith efforts to keep transgender students safe. As part of the resolution, Livengood had to write a letter of apology to Michael Critchfield. Livengood provided only a two-line, handwritten note apologizing for “raising his voice,” not harassing him over his transgender status. Furthermore, school administrators have not installed agreed-to policies to protect transgender students, nor have they started a Gay-Straight Alliance for students. Worse, upon his return, the school assigned Livengood to supervise Critchfield’s lunch hour. Critchfield also reports continued harassment and misgendering by faculty.
A spokesperson for the ACLU, Loree Stark, has expressed the group’s ire with Livengood and Harrison County schools, and criticized the administration for not holding up its end of the deal. “It seems to be really clear he is not taking accountability for his actions,” Stark told NewNowNext. She adds “all options are on the table at this point,” when it comes to taking legal action against the administration.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Pieces of thit bullying a kid…..
Kangol
Karma is a MF, so may it hit this scumbag like a meteor.
stanpaske
So his stupidity or mental challenge is up to this child? He is freaked and cannot understand a new narrative to his. He should not be in education. The key to education…is actual education. Do some studying and open your mind Sir. Your truth is so limited and actually limited. Open your eyes and your heart. What a dick.
Liam in the Midwest
Some of THE WORST bullies in schools today and in the past are administrators. The bully students and teachers.
DCguy
This is the typical B.S. you get also in the deep South.
They promise to do something to avoid consequences. Then don’t do it and assume the person won’t go back to court, or they try to weasel out of it on a technicality. (i.e. the two line note).
Remember when the one lesbian in the Mississippi high school wanted to bring her girlfriend to the prom? The school said she couldn’t, backed down in court, then tried to get around it, but secretly arranging another Prom for all the students to go to, and not telling the lesbian student or the special ed kids. Typical behavior for them.
On the bright side, she sued again and the school had to write her a nice fat check for trying to break the spirit of the agreement.
RevJames
Appalling reality of this tragedy aside: Does anyone else find the names in this scenario just a tad ironic? It happened in a town called Liberty perpetrated my a miserable douce named Livingood to a gender fluid/non-conforming trans angel named Michael?
jaack
The ONLY way anyone really learns is by some form of punishment. The school and county need to lose a HUGE $ lawsuit.
Where the hell is the Principal of the school and school board? Seems supervision of faculty & staff is missing here, When the Asst Principal is closely looking at how a toilet is used by a student, there is something wrong. Is the Asst. Principal a pedophile?