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| Lucy Meadows coroner tells press: 'shame on you' | Lucy Meadows coroner tells press: 'shame on you' |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| The coroner investigating the death of a transgender primary school teacher who killed herself after being outed in newspapers has told the media they should be ashamed of themselves. | The coroner investigating the death of a transgender primary school teacher who killed herself after being outed in newspapers has told the media they should be ashamed of themselves. |
| Addressing journalists at the inquest of Lucy Meadows, who killed herself in March, aged 32, the coroner, Michael Singleton, said: "To the members of the press, I say shame. Shame on all of you." | Addressing journalists at the inquest of Lucy Meadows, who killed herself in March, aged 32, the coroner, Michael Singleton, said: "To the members of the press, I say shame. Shame on all of you." |
| He chastised the press for the "ill-informed bigotry" in press coverage of Meadows after she began her transition from male to female over the Christmas holidays. | He chastised the press for the "ill-informed bigotry" in press coverage of Meadows after she began her transition from male to female over the Christmas holidays. |
| Meadows' gender assignment became national news after her local newspaper in Accrington got hold of a letter from the school to parents informing them that one of their teachers, then known as Nathan Upton, would be returning after the Christmas break as a woman called Lucy Meadows. | Meadows' gender assignment became national news after her local newspaper in Accrington got hold of a letter from the school to parents informing them that one of their teachers, then known as Nathan Upton, would be returning after the Christmas break as a woman called Lucy Meadows. |
| Turning to Ruth Smith, Meadows' former wife, who gave evidence at the inquest, Singleton said he hoped those journalists present would write "sympathetic and sensitive" reports of the hearing. But, he added: "I do not hold my breath." | Turning to Ruth Smith, Meadows' former wife, who gave evidence at the inquest, Singleton said he hoped those journalists present would write "sympathetic and sensitive" reports of the hearing. But, he added: "I do not hold my breath." |
| The coroner said he had done some research into the media reports about Meadows. "I have to say, I was appalled." | The coroner said he had done some research into the media reports about Meadows. "I have to say, I was appalled." |
| He noted that she had written to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) on 3 January to complain about "harassment from the press" and in particular, a column written by Richard Littlejohn in the Daily Mail on 20 December. | He noted that she had written to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) on 3 January to complain about "harassment from the press" and in particular, a column written by Richard Littlejohn in the Daily Mail on 20 December. |
| In a piece headlined "He's not only in the wrong body … he's in the wrong job", Littlejohn asked whether anyone had thought of the "devastating effect" on the pupils of Meadows' change of gender. | In a piece headlined "He's not only in the wrong body … he's in the wrong job", Littlejohn asked whether anyone had thought of the "devastating effect" on the pupils of Meadows' change of gender. |
| The PCC carried out an investigation and two months later, on 11 March, the Daily Mail offered to remove Littlejohn's article from its website, as well as a photograph of Meadows' wedding to Smith in February 2009. | The PCC carried out an investigation and two months later, on 11 March, the Daily Mail offered to remove Littlejohn's article from its website, as well as a photograph of Meadows' wedding to Smith in February 2009. |
| Singleton said he considered the Daily Mail's gesture to be token at best, given what he described as the character assassination the paper had carried out on Meadows, which he said "sought to humiliate and ridicule" her. | Singleton said he considered the Daily Mail's gesture to be token at best, given what he described as the character assassination the paper had carried out on Meadows, which he said "sought to humiliate and ridicule" her. |
| "It seems to be that nothing has been learned from the Leveson inquiry." | "It seems to be that nothing has been learned from the Leveson inquiry." |
| He said he would be writing to the culture secretary, Maria Miller, to urge the government to implement the recommendations of the Leveson report in order to prevent a similar suicide happening again. | He said he would be writing to the culture secretary, Maria Miller, to urge the government to implement the recommendations of the Leveson report in order to prevent a similar suicide happening again. |
| Singleton quoted rule 43 of the Coroners Rules 1984, which gives coroners the power to write a report to a person or organisation where the coroner believes that actions should be taken to prevent future deaths. | Singleton quoted rule 43 of the Coroners Rules 1984, which gives coroners the power to write a report to a person or organisation where the coroner believes that actions should be taken to prevent future deaths. |
| "Lucy Meadows was not somebody who had thrust herself into the public limelight. She was not a celebrity. She had done nothing wrong," Singleton told the inquest at Blackburn register office. "Her only crime was to be different. Not by choice but by some trick of nature. And yet the press saw fit to treat her in the way that they did." | "Lucy Meadows was not somebody who had thrust herself into the public limelight. She was not a celebrity. She had done nothing wrong," Singleton told the inquest at Blackburn register office. "Her only crime was to be different. Not by choice but by some trick of nature. And yet the press saw fit to treat her in the way that they did." |
| The coroner conceded that Meadows had made no reference to the media intrusion in one of the suicide notes she left in her house before she killed herself by carbon monoxide poisoning. He read out one note in full, in which Meadows detailed her problems. | |
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