KATY, Texas – The Katy ISD Board of Trustees will soon vote on a new gender policy.
The policy proposal was presented at Monday night’s board meeting that at times was contentious by factions of the board.
The draft of the policy centers around four topics: parent authority, safeguarding biological females and males, and preferred pronouns.
“The objectives of this policy are that (1) biological females and males and sex-specific spaces are safeguarded; (2) District facilities such as bathrooms, locker rooms, and changing facilities are separated by Biological Sex; (3) the pronouns used for persons on campus are consistent with the Biological Sex of the person; (4) Gender Fluidity content is excluded from the classroom and instructional materials; and (5) District staff will not diagnose or treat gender dysphoria and will respect the right of the parent to determine what is best for the welfare of their child,” the draft reads.
Board President Victor Perez said the policy helps teachers understand what they can and cannot do.
“It’s really to give guidance to the teacher,” said Perez. “Let’s say a pronoun is being used in the school that’s different with the biology of the sex. The teacher, with the consent of the parent, is free to use that pronoun. Similarly, the teacher is not required to.”
“I fear the burden of the policy will fall upon these teachers who will now be required to report if a child confides to them about this sensitive subject,” said Trustee Dawn Champagne. “The trust will be destroyed between the child and the teacher.”
The proposal said teachers would be allowed to use a student’s preferred pronouns with a parent’s written consent. “However, the District cannot and will not compel District staff or other students to address or refer to students in any manner that would violate the speaker’s First Amendment rights,” the draft reads.
District residents are as split on the proposal as the board members.
Penelope Barr supports the board’s move.
“I think the parent should be aware of it,” Barr said. “They’re the ones raising that child. The classroom is not, and the educators are not. That is a parent’s job. If it was my child, I would want to be aware of it.”
A couple, who didn’t want to be identified, shared with KPRC 2′s Rilwan Balogun they support the board’s proposal – to a point.
“For elementary and younger, maybe. Junior high or high school they don’t even need to get their parents involved,” the person said. “I think that the child has a right to identify as they think they are, but I think at some age they might not understand that. So, the parents could mention it to younger [students]. I think the older kids, junior high and up, I don’t think the parents should be even involved.”
ACLU of Texas’ Ash Hall believes if the board passes the policy, it will force teachers to “out” students to parents.
“What stands out the most, in this particular policy to me, is that it forces faculty and staff to out students to their family and or guardians. And that’s extremely dangerous,” Hall said. “There’s a high probability that some of these students will be reported back to their families or guardians. And those guardians would respond verbally or physically abusive.”
The ACLU of Texas previously filed a complaint on behalf of students against Katy ISD in 2022 when the district had internet filters blocking students from accessing LGBT-related content on-campus computers and personal devices.
The district ultimately removed the filters.
SEE ALSO: LGBTQ students at Katy ISD call internet policy discriminatory, demand change
“I can’t help but notice that this feels much more like a political maneuver than a real effort to work with parents or make a safe environment for students at school,” Hall said. “I would just encourage, not only Katy ISD, but all school districts to make decisions based on the safety of all of their students.”
Perez stressed the proposal does in fact keep students safe.
“We’re making it clear here. You know whether it’s a problem [or] if it’s happening or not. We’re laying out policy, we’re guiding,” Perez said during the meeting. “The idea is the district should not be keeping secrets, if you will, concealing things that everybody knows about in the school and the parent is the last to find out about it.”
The next board meeting is Monday, Aug. 28 at the Leonard E. Merrell Center at 6301 S. Stadium Lane.