The coroner investigating the death of transgender primary school teacher Lucy Meadows says the media should be ashamed of themselves.
“To the members of the press, I say shame. Shame on all of you,” Michael Singleton said on Tuesday in a furious tirade.
The coroner said he would be writing to Culture Secretary Maria Miller over the press’s conduct.
Lucy is currently thought to have committed suicide earlier in the year after undergoing gender affirmation surgery.
A vitrioloc attack by Daily Mail columnist Richard Littlejohn suggested she would scare the children and should not be allowed to teach. In fact, children, staff and parents at the school were aware of her situation and were fully supportive. A campaign followed to have Littlejohn sacked.
Hurtful as the Littlejohn article must have been, however, it is understood that Meadows was most upset by the constant press attention and the determination to photograph her. In the light of the Leveson inquiry, many feel it suggests the media have not learned their lesson.