In a recording submitted to Citizen Journalism Foundation (CJF) by an anonymous source, Physics teacher Les Beard can be heard teaching his students about the existence of more than two genders, directly challenging an executive order issued by President Donald Trump.
“It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality,” declared Trump in the executive order. The directive sought to prohibit educational institutions from teaching concepts that diverge from a binary truth of sex and gender.
Despite this, Beard introduced his students to androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS), a rare condition that challenges traditional views on sex determination. “All of them [individuals with AIS] have an XY chromosome,” Beard explained, emphasizing how this condition results in individuals with male chromosomes developing female physical characteristics. He elaborated, “If you’re not sensitive to androgen, the male organs will not develop, and the female organs don’t quite develop either, but usually all of these women will have female sex organs.”
Beard further described the condition, stating, “They do have male sex organs as well, in their body. So if you take an x-ray of them, you’ll see what guys have. But if you were to look at them, they look quite ordinary [female].”
Beard explicitly linked the discussion to political rhetoric. He asked students, “Are these guys?” before sarcastically adding, “Mr. Trump says so,” openly mocking the former president’s stance on gender identity.
The Citizen Journalism Foundation contacted Marana High School for comment. Alli Benjamin, Director of Public Relations and Community Engagement, declined to provide a statement. “I don’t have a comment at this time,” she said. When pressed for a response before the publication deadline, Benjamin curtly replied, “Happy to provide something on my timeline,” before hanging up the phone.
Alli Benjamin, Director of Public Relations and Community Engagement for Marana Unified School District, followed up with a statement regarding the leaked recording of Marana High School Physics teacher Les Beard defying a Trump executive order by teaching students about the existence of more than two genders.
Benjamin stated:
“We are proud to provide our students with challenging academics, full extracurricular offerings, and experiences that enhance their personal growth and development. To help provide optimal learning environments for all students, we have adopted policies that provide guidance and expectations for teachers and staff, including:
1. Teaching to the state standards that are focused on course content.
2. Providing a learning environment where teachers remain neutral and refrain from sharing their personal beliefs and opinions.
Our district is committed to making sure these policies are clear and honored by all staff. The administration will follow appropriate guidelines detailed in district policy to ensure all staff fulfill these expectations.”
