Episode 17: Sue Morgan Testifies

“The State calls Sue Morgan to the stand,” Senator Castillo declared.

Sue stood up from where she was sitting next to Acey and her mother. She walked over and took her seat in the witness stand.

The judge swore her in.

“Your name is Sue Morgan?” Castillo asked.

“My name is Sue Morgan, ma’am,” she replied softly.

“Will you please speak a little louder, Sue?” Senator Travis asked. “I’m afraid some of the reporters are saying they can’t hear you.”

“Sue,” Senator Castillo began again. “How old are you?”

“I’m seventeen.”

“Did you attend school here in town last year?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“What school?”

“County Central High School,” she confirmed.

“Was Dr. Andrews your teacher?”

“Yes, ma’am. AP biological science. First period.”

Senator Castillo reached over to pick up the text book. “Did you study from this book, Civic Biology by Hunter?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Were you studying that book this spring, Sue?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Did Dr. Andrews teach to you from this book?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Did Dr. Andrews ever teach you anything about the biological science of sex?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And were you present in class on the 24^th of May when he was reviewing for the final exam?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Did Dr. Andrews teach you anything about any theory that denies the gender definition adopted by any person, and did he teach instead that gender identity has a biological meaning…”

“I think, your honor,” Senator Travis rose, “I will object to that. The Profesora should ask Sue what Dr. Andrews taught instead of leading her on.”

“Sustained,” the judge agreed.

Senator Castillo glared at her opponent for a moment but decided not to contest the point. “Very well. Sue, please tell us what Dr. Andrews taught you in his class.”

“He taught that in biology, people’s sex is determined by your chromosomes. He said that if you have XX chromosomes, you’re female, and if you have XY chromosomes, you’re male.

“And I asked him ‘What if my chromosomes are XX but I felt like I’m a boy in my heart?’

“And he said, ‘It doesn’t matter. Biology still says you’re a girl.’”

“That’s NOT what I said!” Dr. Andrews wrote on a note to Senator Travis.

“I know,” the senator wrote back. “Calm down.”

“Sue, how did that make you feel?” Senator Castillo asked her.

“I felt like he wasn’t affirming me,” she said, visibly upset.

“I felt like he was trying to tell me I’m something… something that I’m not,” she added.

“Do you think he was deliberately trying to hurt you?”

“No,” Sue shook her head. “I think he genuinely didn’t realize the pain he was causing me. I mean, it’s not like I think he should have to go to jail or anything. But it would be nice if he could at least say he was sorry for disrespecting who I am and for hurting my feelings.”

“Thank you for being such a brave young woman.” Senator Castillo stood a moment in a worshipful adoration of her witness. “You are truly an inspiration to us all.”

Senator Castillo glared at Mike. “We can only hope that your teacher has the common human decency to apologize to you for refusing to affirm your gender preference.”

The senator moved at last to take her seat. “Your witness,” she acknowledged dismissively to the defense while her back was to her opponents.

Senator Travis rose.

“Sue,” he began, “are you aware that there are certain… physical differences between… well let’s just say between most people who identify as girls and most people who identify as boys?”

Sue froze for a moment, unsure how to answer. “I suppose so,” she acknowledged at last.

“You are aware, then,” he continued, “there are physical differences between boys and girls?”

“Yes,” she answered.

“And when did you first notice these differences?”

Sue froze again. “I don’t remember,” she finally answered.

“You don’t remember,” Senator Travis pressed, “because it was so long ago?”

After a long pause, she answered, “Yes.”

“Is it safe to say that realization was long before Dr. Andrews taught you about the biological science of sex in his class?”

Sue didn’t answer.

“You may not have known some of the details Dr. Andrews shared with you. But you were aware,” Senator Travis pushed further, “that there ARE biological differences between boys and girls long before you took Dr. Andrews’s class. Isn’t that right?”

Sue still didn’t answer.

“Would you please answer my question?”

“Objection!” Senator Castillo rose. “The defense is harassing the witness.

“Overruled,” Judge Connor declared. “Sue, please answer the Professor’s question.”

“What was the question?” Sue asked.

The court recorder read it back to her: “You may not have known some of the details Dr. Andrews shared with you. But you were aware that there are biological differences between boys and girls long before you took Dr. Andrews’s class. Isn’t that right?”

After a long pause, Sue answered, “Yes.”

“Thank you, Sue,” Senator Travis acknowledged her. We have no further questions for you.”

Sue returned to her seat.

“Your honor, it’s getting late,” Senator Travis noted, “I understand the state has additional witnesses whose testimony would be substantially the same. Perhaps we could read their names into the record and stipulate to that fact?”

“Profesora?” the judge asked.

“No objection,” she agreed, handing a list to the court recorder. “These three students would testify to substantially the same account as Sue. However, we do have a final witness we would like to call tomorrow morning before resting our case.”

“Very well,” the judge confirmed. “This court stands adjourned until 9 am tomorrow morning.”

“All rise!” the bailiff ordered. The crowd stood until the judge left the courtroom. Senator Travis and his aide accompanied the guard escorting Dr. Andrews back to his cell.

“Mike,” he began, “you need to relax and stay calm. There’s no point getting upset when they lie. It’s who they are. It’s what they do. And when you get upset at them lying about you, it’s possible the jury will see that and assume you’re getting upset at being called out for your supposed transgressions.”

“Sorry, senator,” Mike accepted the correction, “but the whole thing was recorded. I never told her ‘biology says you’re a girl.’ She raised it as a hypothetical…”

Senator Travis held up his hand to cut short the explanation. “I know. And it still doesn’t matter. Because by the time we parse that out and point out the differences between the recording and her account, it would just look as though we were badgering and harassing her further. It would only draw attention to the whole thing.”

“Acey as much as admitted to me that she was involved in coaching Sue on her testimony,” a still outraged Mike complained. “Can’t we call them on the conspiracy?”

“That way lies madness,” Senator Travis smiled. “This whole case is nothing but a vast champertous connivance. You colluded with the superintendent and the mayor, and President Buchmann to make it all happen. The less we delve into behind-the-scenes conspiracies, the better. Just suck it up. Deal with it. Move on.”

“I’m not very experienced at this kind of thing,” Mike acknowledged. “I’ll try to do a better job of letting it roll off my back going forward.”

“Oh, we have LOTS of experience getting lied to and lied about,” Senator Travis’s aide explained with a smile. “I have to say it does get easier with practice,” she acknowledged. “You grow a thicker skin. But it still does bother you a bit when you stop to think about it.”