Table Of ContentRunning head: IN THEIR OWN VOICES: LG[BT] SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
IN THEIR OWN VOICES:
THE LIVED PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES OF
LESBIAN/GAY/[BISEXUAL/TRANSGENDER] SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
By
MICHAEL J. AUCIELLO
A dissertation submitted to the
Graduate School of Education
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
Doctor of Education
Graduate Program in Educational Administration and Supervision
written under the direction of
________________________________________
Catherine A. Lugg, Ph.D., Chair
________________________________________
James W. Koschoreck, Ph.D., Committee
________________________________________
Melinda M. Mangin, Ph.D., Committee
New Brunswick, New Jersey
May 2016
IN THEIR OWN VOICES: LG[BT] SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
© 2016
Michael J. Auciello
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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IN THEIR OWN VOICES: LG[BT] SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
ABSTRACT
IN THEIR OWN VOICES:
THE LIVED PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES OF
1
LG[BT] SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
By
MICHAEL J. AUCIELLO
Dissertation Chair: Catherine A. Lugg, Ph.D.
Historically, educational administrators have been delegated the responsibility of policing
the traditionally accepted mainstream gender identities and sexual norms of society and naturally
perceived as heterosexual (Harbeck, 1992, 1997). These responsibilities often lead to the
creation and stewardship of a hostile educational climate toward LGBT staff members and youth
(Kissen, 1996). I conducted a study into the lived personal and professional experiences of
LG[BT] school administrators to better understand how power and politics in schools affect the
experiences of sexual minority educational leaders.
The following research questions guided this study: 1) How do LG[BT] administrators
define leadership and their roles in schools?; 2) How does an LG[BT] administrator’s
understanding of his or her sexuality influence (the development of) his or her building priorities
as a leader?; and 3) Why do some LG[BT] administrators choose to come out while others
remain closeted?
The dissertation employed a phenomenological multiple case study design. Using
interview protocols, I interviewed eight LG[BT] public school administrators: five gay men and
1
In this specific study, the use of brackets in the acronym LG[BT] indicates that although
bisexual and transgender school leaders were invited to participate, none of the participants
identified as such.
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IN THEIR OWN VOICES: LG[BT] SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
three lesbians. Pseudonyms were used in lieu of actual names for confidentiality. For purposes
of triangulation, the data were collected from multiple sources including documents,
standardized structured interviews, and direct observation.
Five major themes were derived from the data: 1) Fear; 2) A desire to help others; 3)
Increased sensitivity to diversity; 4) Personal integrity and resilience; and 5) Mutual respect
between administrators, staff members, and students. Additional clusters of subthemes also
emerged from these major themes. The findings yielded that LG[BT] administrators sought
positions in leadership for the same reasons as heterosexuals and subsequently endured similar
challenges. Their priorities varied in accordance with their degrees of public disclosure. Finally,
decisions to come out or remain closeted remained dependent on the following factors: 1) The
political demographics comprising the school community where each participant lived and
worked; 2) The racial/ethnic demographics comprising the school community; 3) Support
provided by staff members and higher level administrators; and 4) Degrees of gender conforming
behavior as measured by one’s perceived masculinity or femininity.
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IN THEIR OWN VOICES: LG[BT] SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would never have been able to complete this dissertation without the faith and guidance
of my advisor, committee members, study participants, encouragement from friends, and support
from my parents and family members.
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Catherine A. Lugg, for
her excellent guidance throughout this journey, caring nature, patience throughout my admittedly
routine procrastination, and for providing me with unending support and enormous faith in my
ability to complete this project. I would also like to thank Drs. James W. Koschoreck and
Melinda M. Mangin, for agreeing to serve on my dissertation committee, their constant belief in
my work, and reassurance of the importance of this topic.
Much thanks goes to all of my participants: Alex, Barbara, Claire, Colin, Edward,
Fernando, Lorraine, and Paul. You each know who you are, and this project would never have
been possible without the input from each of you. Thank you for being so brave and courageous
enough to share your stories. I hope I was able to do you all some form of justice.
Additional thanks go to my former classmates who have since become friends as a result
of this journey. Thank you for encouraging me to “hang in there” and continuing to push me
forward whenever I felt overwhelmed and exhausted—which was often.
Finally, I would also like to thank my parents, Cecilia M. Auciello and Joseph R.
Auciello, for being my greatest cheerleaders and pushing me forward whenever I was on the
verge of giving up; my grandmothers Carmen L. Carlo and Mary Zegarelli for their continuous
encouragement and best wishes; and my aunt, Olga Sauter, for continuing to believe in me. I
would never have made it without the support from each of you.
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IN THEIR OWN VOICES: LG[BT] SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
DEDICATION
I dedicate this dissertation to my late grandfather, Cecilio M. Carlo, and my late uncle,
Rudolph G. Sauter, whose good examples taught me the value of education and the importance
of working hard for everything I desire to achieve. Although you are not here physically to
celebrate with me in my accomplishments, I know you are both looking down at me and are
extremely proud.
I also dedicate this dissertation to the courageous queer scholars who have come before
me: Jackie Blount, Colleen Capper, John D’Emilio, William DeJean, Karen Graves, Pat Griffin,
Karen Harbeck, Frank Hernandez, Didi Khayatt, Catherine Lugg, James Koschoreck, Ian
Macgillivray, Eric Rofes, Autumn Tooms Cypres, and anyone else who I may have neglected to
mention. Your work paved the way for this project, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to
make this small contribution.
Finally, I dedicate this work to all LGBT educators and administrators, past, present, and
future. Your stories and resilience have inspired me along my journey, and I consider it a
privilege to have had this opportunity to give a small handful of you a voice in hopes of assisting
in the quest for change in some albeit small way.
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IN THEIR OWN VOICES: LG[BT] SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………………...…iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS……………………………………………………………….………..v
DEDICATION………………………………………………………………………………..…..vi
LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………………..ix
LIST OF APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………………..x
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………..1
Background Information and the Context of the Study………………………………………..5
Statement of the Problem……………………………………………………………………..12
Statement of Purpose and Research Questions……………………………………………….15
Significance of the Study……………………………………………………………………..15
Definition of Terms…………………………………………………………………………...16
Summary of the Introduction…………………………………………………………………18
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………………………20
A Brief History of the Gay Rights Movement in the United States………………………….21
Gay and Lesbian Classroom Teachers………………………………………………..............29
A Brief History of Homophobia in Education…………………………………………….29
The Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Teachers…………………………………………...41
Gay and Lesbian School Administrators……………………………………………………..54
Homophobia in Educational Administration……………………………………………...54
The Experiences of Gay and Lesbian School Administrators…………………………….59
Summary of the Literature Review…………………………………………………………...63
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY………………………………………………………..69
Research Study Design……………………………………………………………………….69
Phenomenological Approach……………………………………………………………...69
Multiple Case Study Design………………………………………………………………71
Data Collection Methods……………………………………………………………………..73
Participant Selection………………………………………………………………………73
Standardized Interviews and Interview Protocols…………………………………………74
Interview Guide Approach………………………………………………………………...75
Collection of Documents………………………………………………………………….76
Data Analysis Plan……………………………………………………………………………76
Procedures for the Study…………………………………………………………………..76
Data Analysis……………………………………………………………………………...79
Interview Narratives……………………………………………………………………….81
Identifying Key Themes…………………………………………………………………..81
Coding of the Data………………………………………………………………………...82
Role of the Researcher…………………………………………………………………….83
Validity and Transferability……………………………………………………………….85
Summary of the Methodology………………………………………………………………..86
CHAPTER FOUR: THE FINDINGS……………………………………………………………88
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IN THEIR OWN VOICES: LG[BT] SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
Theme 1: Fear……………………………………………………………………..………….90
Fear in One’s Personal Life……………………………………………………..…...........91
Fear in One’s Professional Life………………………………………………………….107
Theme 2: A Desire to Help Others………………………………………………………….116
Theme 3: Increased Sensitivity to Diversity………………………………………………...121
Gender Conforming vs. Gender Nonconforming Behavior in Youth……………………121
A Greater Sense of Compassion and Ability to Empathize……………………………...128
Anti-Bullying Initiatives…………………………………………………………………134
Summary of the Findings……………………………………………………………………138
CHAPTER FIVE: THE FINDINGS (CONTINUED)…………………………………….........142
Theme 4: Personal Integrity and Resilience………………………………………………...143
Levels of Authenticity in Positions of Leadership……………………………………….144
Compromising Moral Principles…………………………………………………………154
Increased Workload and Questioning of Judgment……………………………………...158
Resilience with the Threat of Job Loss…………………………………………………..162
Theme 5: Mutual Respect Between Administrators, Staff Members, and Students….…….177
Handling Student Discipline………………………………………………..…………....177
Selective Omission and Respect Between Administrators and Staff…………….………181
Respect Between Administrators and Students………………………………………….190
Summary of the Findings (Continued)……………………………………………………...197
CHAPTER SIX: DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS…………………………………….200
Revisiting the Research Questions…………………………………………………………..200
Research Question One: The Meaning of Leadership for LG[BT] School
Administrators………………………………………………………………………...200
Research Question Two: The Priorities of LG[BT] School Administrators…………...…205
Research Question Three: The Decision to Come Out or Remain Closeted…………..….209
Further Discussion and Links to Previous Research………………………………………...216
Implications for Practice…………………………………………………………………….222
Suggestions for Further Research…………………………………………………………...225
Summary of the Discussions and Conclusions……………………………………………...228
REFERENCES.…………………………………………………………………………...........232
APPENDICES………………………………………………………………………………….243
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IN THEIR OWN VOICES: LG[BT] SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1. Demographic Information for the Participants………………………………….......89
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IN THEIR OWN VOICES: LG[BT] SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
LIST OF APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: Interview Protocols……………………………………………………………243
APPENDIX B: Call for Participants Advertisement…………………………………………...249
APPENDIX C: Informed Consent……………………………………………………………...251
APPENDIX D: Audiotape Addendum to Consent……………………………………………..254
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