Opinion: Judge official on skills, not sex

Last summer, Largo commissioners gave City Manager Steve Stanton another glowing evaluation. After 14 years as manager, he still won their praise. Yet tonight those commissioners will meet to consider firing Stanton.

The meeting comes less than a week after he revealed that he plans to get gender-reassignment surgery to become a woman. Commissioners who stood by Stanton late last week are waffling now after an onslaught of critical messages from upset Largo residents. The commission's most conservative member, Mary Gray Black, has called for Stanton to be put on leave, with a public hearing and vote on firing him to follow.

Stanton, 48, had concealed his private agony from everyone but his wife for years. He said he has known since about age 6 that he was different. Private cross dressing, counseling and years of self-examination convinced him that he is a woman in a man's body. He began receiving female hormones and planned to soon start dressing and living as a woman, a medical protocol that precedes gender-reassignment surgery.

People who know Stanton were shocked by the news that he is a transsexual who will change his name to Susan. Stanton's physical prowess - he has run marathons and joins Largo firefighters for physically demanding training - and his assertive personality had given a certain impression; his announcement gave another.

It is understandable that some people would be shocked or feel awkward around Stanton at first. The harsh community reaction to his decision should not have been unexpected, either. A proposed human rights ordinance was bitterly opposed three years ago in Largo, where conservative churches are politically powerful.

Stanton still possesses the same intelligence and skills that made him a successful city manager. It is on those attributes that he should be judged, not his appearance or his deeply personal struggle. A commission decision tonight to suspend or fire him would be premature at best. Commissioners should take time to assess Stanton's quality of work and leadership during this difficult transition as well as the staff's reaction to him. If Stanton and his employees are able to adjust and continue to perform well on behalf of the public, what he wears or calls himself should not matter.

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Comments on this article

by Deval	04/15/07 03:06 PM
If his performance was so unacceptable, why wasn't he formally criticized, censured, demoted or fired before this revelation? Why did they give him good performance ratings? This makes no sense.

by Sally	03/07/07 07:35 PM
Every person born in this world has their own personal faults and stigmas, it's only bigoted cowards who hide behind a wall of so called moral codes and judge others.If a person has the ability/qualifications to do a job then that's all which matters

by Virginia	02/28/07 08:55 PM
So your belief is that God is perfect - God does not make misstakes - There stands Susan! What do you think?

by Jessica	02/28/07 11:49 AM
Watching all the vile hatred being tossed about by those that claim to be doing Gods work sickens me. Let her do her job. Those filled with hate are really doing the work of Satan not God.

by SilverLady(SO)	02/28/07 11:47 AM
I am the supportive SO to a Crossdresser, and it's a shame that Largo officials, and the population at large, are resorting to DISCRIMINATION, for that is what it is. Stanton is only changing his body to match his brain's gender, pure and simple.

by SilverLady(SO)	02/28/07 11:42 AM
Kudos to this newspaper for providing a fair and balanced report. It is obvious that the writers have done their research and kept any personal bias out of their article. It's a shame the general public aren't as educated, or open-minded.

by Beth	02/27/07 11:41 PM
I totally agree with this editorial. Judge him/her on job performance only - give it time and see how things go, but a knee jerk reaction would be premature.

by Leia	02/27/07 11:30 PM
I am glad I moved. I would not wish to live in a location populated by bigots. If the person is doing the job, and it seems no one in the know do not think so, than any move by anyone is bigotry pure and simple.

by CK	02/27/07 11:25 PM
Let's judge him / her on his abilities and record. Therefore, he / she should IMMEDIATELY be fired. He / she was inept for years, NOT "successful" as StPT says.

by Craig	02/27/07 11:08 PM
If this is about morality, where are the Christians decrying divorce? Stop being selective about your morality. And with this sort of reaction, can you guess why Stanton waited to come out? Give people their dignity instead of throwing stones.

by david	02/27/07 10:28 PM
So now they fired him. If this happened in San Francisco, or Los Angeles, they wouldnt blink an eye. Just goes to show the overwhelming back woods, bigotted nature of people who are in positions of trust and authority.Who will the Council fire next?

by Drew	02/27/07 09:59 PM
Give me a break - a guy has a "lop-it-offa-me" and shows up for work in a dress - and this will cause no problems?? Maybe they can play the "Benny Hill Song" when they start city meetings from now on.

by David	02/27/07 09:50 PM
resolution. I really do think this has Supreme Court written all over it. Gender is of course protected. But is Staton truly being fired for gender? His birth certificate says male, and this is an issue requiring attention.

by David	02/27/07 09:38 PM
SCOTUS is not in stone- with the change in national climate, it is highly likely that Stanton will have standing. There is no legal implication to prevent a suit; it just depends on what the rationale for dismissal was. I can't wait for the...

by Chris	02/27/07 09:07 PM
I guess this explains why he pushed so hard for that human rights ordinance, a few years back.

by Bruce	02/27/07 08:33 PM
What does this have to do with the city manager doing their job? Really! This council meeting should have happened at all. Shame on the City of Largo council members for letting it go this far. Where is human compassion?

by bbb	02/27/07 07:59 PM
>>>His job performance is horrible anyways! ...and your English is so wonderful....moron

by Lillian	02/27/07 07:52 PM
We have got to get passed our knee jerk, homophobic reactions. Your editorial is right on point. Stanton should be evaluated on his performance as city manager only. Since he is a valued manager now, there is no reason to belive that he will be less.

by Lorrie	02/27/07 06:21 PM
How many of you will actually be working with Stanton? My husband will, very closely. Your opinions don't matter, you don't know how hypocritical Stanton is. He is always firing people for personal matters!

by Cathy	02/27/07 06:01 PM
Oh Chris? "Polygamous" means more than one mate. If you're going to throw terminology around, make certain you use the right terms.

by Cathy	02/27/07 05:55 PM
NO ONE has the right to dictate to another, how he or she should live their lives! NONE of you have the right to judge Stanton or to question her morals! Who died and made YOU people God? Clean your own back yards before you call another's messy!

by Cathy	02/27/07 05:50 PM
JUDGE NOT, LEST YE BE JUDGED! You sanctimonious, bible spouting, moralists always seem to forget the parts of the bible that don't agree with your jundiced, bigoted points of view. Science has PROVED that males CAN have female brains & vice versa.

by Chrias	02/27/07 03:38 PM
Jan....honest??? where do you get that?? He lies everyday he puts on a suit!

by Brant	02/27/07 03:18 PM
I don't believe that Stanton has any legal protections, here. The SCOTUS decided years ago that transsexualism was not protected by Title VII. What's left is character and commitment to do a good job. He should be given the benefit of the doubt.

by Gail	02/27/07 03:16 PM
If the shoe were on someone else's foot, Stanton would be the first to try to fire them - funny, he has no compassion for others, but expects everyone to rally around him.

by Cindy	02/27/07 02:52 PM
For Christians, remember what our Lord said: Remove the log from your own eye before you point out the splinter in your brother's. We are all sinners and are all deserving of God's mercy. Love God and one another. Don't be a sanctimonious hypocrite.

by JOYCE	02/27/07 02:38 PM
What I see is a City government telling their Cities Children that HONESTY doesn't count for anything, you are punished any. Then the Minister from Indian Rocks Baptis Church doesn't practice what God says is to "LOVE" ONE ANTOHER, what is he showing

by Jay	02/27/07 11:08 AM
He was not born a women. He would not have been able to have a child with his wife if that was the case. He does not have any case against the City, he is in a position that can be fired for any reason. His job performance is horrible anyways!

by Lisa	02/27/07 11:03 AM
Decades ago this discussion would be about race. Now it is about changing gender. Same arguments I am sure. Can this person do the job? If yes then who cares if he is male, female, alien or whatever. LEAVE HIM ALONE to do his job.

by jackson	02/27/07 10:56 AM
blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of the sinner or sits in the seat of the scornful, Steve listened to the wrong counsel and he will pay

by Barry	02/27/07 10:37 AM
Mr, Mrs Stanton should be evaluated only based upon his job performance. Only God himself is worthy of judging him. His lawyers will have a field day with the city of Largo, and who's going to pay for the law suit when he wins it? We will

by Sandy	02/27/07 10:37 AM
Mr. Stanton is fixing a birth defect. He was born a woman, but by some quirk of nature was given a male form. If the defect was a cleft palate or a club foot; would you deny him the right to correct it?

by matt	02/27/07 09:58 AM
Judge on this dumb decision. If he is willing to become a he/she overnight, who knows what else he will do. This guy is disgusting!!!!

by S	02/27/07 09:45 AM
This is not a case of discrimination based on sex. He would not be getting fired for being a man or women, but for having a mental illness to want to change what Mother Nature determined is is sex. That shows a lack of mental competency!

by geezersgal	02/27/07 08:54 AM
The squeaky wheel gets the grease and so it is with bigots, the intolerant and self-righteous. Those who yell loudest are usually in the minority. I hope the commissioners don't pander to that squeak.