Keller ISD unanimously approved a new policy at its school board meeting in August, ruling that staff must use the pronouns listed on the child’s birth certificate, regardless of what the child may wish to be called. If a student wishes to use a different name or pronoun, staff will be required to notify the parents within 24 hours of the student’s request and parents will be required to provide written consent before the school records can be changed, the Dallas Express reported. The new rules would also apply if a student asks to use a bathroom or locker room of the opposite gender.
After Keller ISD received some pushback for “discriminating against LGBTQ students,” including some backlash from the ACLU, the school stood firm and said that the policy revisions “are focused on the fundamental rights of parents to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education, and care of their children,” WFAA reported. Several students did speak out, with one claiming that “I and many other queer students that you’re supposed to protect are suffering because of your decisions.” One parent, Mary Anne Weatherred, who has teenagers in the district, claimed that students “find school to be a space where they can use a different name, a different pronoun and figure out who they are.”
The new policy is an update to the original policy which was introduced last summer when the board of trustees voted 5-to-0 with one absentee that stated “district staff, educators, and other district employees shall not promote, encourage, or require the use of pronouns that are inconsistent with a student’s or other person’s biological sex as it appears on the individual’s birth certificate or other government issued record.” The district also ruled that no employee or other student would be compelled to “refer to students in any manner that would violate the speaker’s constitutionally protected rights.” The board decided then that the school will “maintain separate restrooms” based on biological sex, but will allow for accommodations for student’s that are “seeking privacy” and would allow the student to use a separate bathroom, The Texan reported.
The decision comes just weeks after the board adopted a resolution denouncing the Biden administration’s change in Title IX, which would alter the language from “sex” to also include “gender identity,” allowing biological males to compete in female sports. The board slammed the change, claiming that under the new terms, biological girls and women would lose legal protections. Board President Charles Randklev said on Facebook that “We are committed to protecting female students in our district”, KERA News reported.
Despite the outcry from organizations like the ACLU, along with numerous students and parents, requiring parents to be notified if their child wishes to identify as the opposite gender is not discriminatory. There is nothing discriminatory about saying that biological boys should use the boys' bathroom and that boys should not be allowed to share a bathroom with girls, for the safety of the girls. The changes to Title IX do nothing to protect children, Gays Against Groomers stands with the Keller ISD board in their fight to protect children.
References
Dr. Charles Randklev, Keller ISD Board of Trustees, Place 6. Facebook. (2024, June 26). https://www.facebook.com/share/8qZYc1gKaTjJ3cRV/
Gays Against Groomers Public Comment to The Biden Administration’s Proposed Title IX Amendments. (2023, May 17). Gays Against Groomers. https://www.radar.gaysagainstgroomers.com/post/gays-against-groomers-public-comment-to-the-biden-administration-s-proposed-title-ix-amendments
Keller ISD Adopts New Student Pronoun and Bathroom Policy Based on Biological Sex. (2023, July 3). The Texan. https://thetexan.news/issues/social-issues-life-family/keller-isd-adopts-new-student-pronoun-and-bathroom-policy-based-on-biological-sex/article_b150b68a-c60f-56f8-9ea8-fb3226ed7a5f.html
Keller ISD Adopts New Student Pronoun Policy. (2024, August 26). The Dallas Express. https://dallasexpress.com/education/keller-isd-adopts-new-student-pronoun-policy/
Keller ISD Approves More Changes to School Policy, ACLU Issues Letter of Concern. (2024, August 22). WFAA. https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/education/keller-isd-approves-school-policy-changes-aclu-issues-letter-of-concern/287-7299cdd8-09f1-4da4-8292-1ffdba2dfc2c
Keller ISD Could Adopt Pronoun Policy, Cell Phone Ban. What Do Students, Educators Think? (2024, July 30). KERA News. https://www.keranews.org/education/2024-07-30/keller-isd-could-adopt-pronoun-policy-cell-phone-ban-what-do-students-educators-think
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