Schools Chief Says Male Job Candidates Too ‘Effeminate’ : Education: Las Virgenes superintendent claims there are too few ‘masculine role models’ teaching at elementary level. He clarifies statement after criticism.

The superintendent of the Las Virgenes Unified School District, two years after publicly referring to Asians as “slant-eyed,” has made another inflammatory comment, saying too many men seeking jobs as elementary schoolteachers are “effeminate,” school district officials said Friday.

Supt. Albert (Bud) Marley made the remark during a Nov. 11 discussion on gender bias in the classroom sponsored by the Thousand Oaks branch of the American Assn. of University Women, according to members of the women’s group and officials at the Calabasas-based school district.

Marley distributed a written statement Friday to the district’s teachers, saying he had meant only to describe the need for more men in elementary teaching, adding that “if I could replay my comments and select other words to capture my thoughts on this sensitive issue, I would do so.”

Marley was widely criticized in May, 1990, for referring to Asians as “slant-eyed” during an appearance before a civic group. He later apologized after Asian-American civil rights groups complained.

Colleen Briner-Schmidt, president of the women’s university group, said Marley was discussing how hard it is to find strong traditional male role models to teach in his elementary school classrooms “when he made his statement that has now become infamous, that the men who apply to teach young grades tend to be effeminate.”

Marley refused to discuss the issue Friday, saying only that “I feel very strongly we need masculine role models in our elementary schools. That’s the point that I’m trying to make.

“Many of our teachers are mother surrogates,” he said. “We also need father surrogates.”

Marley said male teachers already working in the district are not effeminate. But, he added, “We have far too few masculine role models.”

In his statement distributed to teachers, Marley said he was disturbed that 85% of applicants for teaching credentials are women and most of the male applicants apply for high school jobs.

“I attempted to point out--however distorted my language may have been--that in my view teaching at the elementary level should be viewed as a very positive vocational choice for men and women. Further, I know that men can and do possess the caring, nurturing and professional skills to make wonderful elementary teachers. Proof of this is our outstanding group of men who teach in the elementary schools in this district.”

Marley’s initial remarks--and subsequent comments he made to the local newspaper, The Acorn--have sparked controversy among teachers and school officials of the tiny district, considered among the best in Los Angeles County. Many have called Marley and the school board to complain.

“It’s the care, the love, the talent and the experience we bring to the job, not one’s masculinity, femininity or sexual orientation that determines our value and what we bring to the children,” said Mark Cantor, a kindergarten teacher who telephoned Marley.

Cantor said teachers plan to discuss the issue further with Marley. The school board’s incoming president, Dr. Iraj Broomand, said the matter will be discussed at the board meeting Tuesday, and that he has already spoken with Marley.

Times staff writer Tracey Kaplan contributed to this story.