Transsexual says college failed to address harassment

July 27, 2009
By Cherri Greeno, Record staff

KITCHENER — Janet Merner hasn’t had an easy life. As a transsexual, she says she’s been teased, denied jobs and, most recently, forced to quit school because of constant harassment.

Now, she’s had enough.

“I’m a regular person,” said Merner, 40, as she protested outside Conestoga College Monday morning.

As a woman living in a man’s body, Merner — who just recently changed her name from Philip to Janet — drew lots of stares from fellow students last year. She says she was called horrible names and, at one point, challenged to a fight. Although the harassment was upsetting, what hurt Merner the most was that the college did nothing to stop it, she says.

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