Kayla Lemieux, a Canadian high school teacher who wears large prosthetic breasts in class, has been put on paid leave by the Halton School District. This action follows a report from The Post which indicated that she rarely wears the prosthetics outside of school. Education Minister Stephen Lecce and Halton Region MPs Natalie Pierre, Stephen Crawford and Effie Triantafilopoulos criticized the school board for not putting student interests first.
Lynn, one parent, said that the school environment should carefully consider how identity and expression is portrayed. The school board has been largely silent while parents have been vocal about Lemieux’s outfit, which has included tight clothing with large nipples under her top.
The situation has caused chaos at school board meetings and gained international attention after reporters revealed that she often appears outside of school as a man, a look that her neighbor said she wears “extremely infrequently.” Photos showed her wearing men’s sweatpants, sneakers, and a puffer vest with no sign of her prosthetic breasts, makeup, glasses, or wig.
When asked, Lemieux said that the person in the photo was not her, but refused to provide proof. She insisted that her breasts were real, but could not provide a diagnosis for her condition called “gigantomastia,” which is a rare condition involving excessive breast tissue growth.
The school board originally refused to impose a dress code for teachers due to concerns about violating Ontario’s Human Rights Code, but later agreed to develop a policy requiring teachers to maintain a “professional” appearance. Lemieux said she would follow the board’s direction, but denied dressing in a provocative fashion.