Maher takes playful jab at Oakville teacher controversy on his recent HBO show
Published March 6, 2023 at 12:55 pm
An Oakville high school teacher who has made worldwide headlines for wearing large prosthetic breasts in the classroom was targeted by comedian Bill Maher on his latest show.
The American comedian and host of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher took time during the monologue of his show on Friday (March 3) to discuss the controversy surrounding Oakville Trafalgar High School shop teacher Kayla Lemieux.
The Halton District School Board (HDS) recently confirmed the teacher is no longer on active assignment at the school, but remains employed by the board.
“Remember that Canadian shop teacher with the,” Maher told his audience before holding his hands out over his chest to insinuate the teacher’s large prosthetic breasts, drawing a huge laugh.
“There she is,” Maher said after a picture of the teacher walking outside was put up for the audience to see.
“We don’t know what’s going on here, but she’s a teacher at the school.”
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Pictures of Lemieux inside Oakville Trafalgar were first shared online last September and would go viral before making international headlines.
The school has received public criticism and numerous threats, including bomb threats, over the controversy. A parents group has also threatened legal action if the teacher situation was not addressed.
The school board initially said it couldn’t impose a dress code before changing course and asking staff to draft a “professionalism policy” that would implement a dress code required by teachers and staff.
Lemieux has sported long blonde hair with tight tops that show prominently show off the large prosthetic breasts with protruding nipples.
“There’s a lot of controversy, obviously a lot of controversy that she would come to school like that,” Maher told his audience setting up his joke. “Well, finally she has been removed from the school.”
“They would have done it sooner, but they couldn’t get her through the door,” said Maher, drawing a huge outburst of laughter from his audience.
While the controversy has been many the punch line for comedians like Maher, the situation continues to be the centre of attention at the Halton school board.
The DoE now believes that covid most likely leaked from that virus lab in Wuhan, but they say they have “low confidence” in the finding. That’s okay. You’re the government. We have "low confidence" in you too. pic.twitter.com/6njwWr3986
— Bill Maher (@billmaher) March 4, 2023
At a meeting last Wednesday, board trustees approved a motion that it would hire an outside special advisor to work with the board on the matter.
“We acknowledge that although it has been a difficult time for the HDSB, the idea that the sole purpose of this special advisor is to focus on one specific situation is inaccurate,” said board chair Margo Shuttleworth and HDSB director of education Curtis Ennis in a joint statement.
“Our focus is to continue to evaluate our way forward,” the statement continues. To help us do this with a fresh set of eyes, we have chosen to bring on a special advisor to provide advice on refocusing our efforts in a positive way that is respectful of all our students, staff, parents/guardians and community and reflects our values.”
The move to bring in an outside advisor has already drawn criticism from parents who say the board is simply shifting the blame.
Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce has asked the Ontario College of Teachers to review professional conduct provisions and has criticized the board for allowing the situation to get out of hand.
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