MANSFIELD – Two weeks before a popular Mansfield schoolteacher was placed on administrative leave with pay, an unidentified parent sent an email to school administrators and voiced his concerns about the teacher's sexual orientation.
The case surrounding art teacher Stacy Bailey has drawn attention as her supporters have asked school leaders why she is no longer teaching at Charlotte Anderson Elementary School, a Mansfield district school that's located in Arlington.
Bailey was placed on leave Sept. 8 after she made inquiries about establishing stronger protections for LGBT students and employees.
But in a series of Aug. 23 text messages obtained by the Star-Telegram, Anderson Principal Sheira Petty said a parent had raised questions about Bailey's sexual orientation to Superintendent Jim Vaszauskas and the school board.
Petty is asked whether Bailey has been open with students about her sexual orientation.
Petty replies: "Not to this extent. She has said she had a girlfriend and she showed a slide show of her friends that included a girlfriend."
