KATY, Texas – Students in the Katy Independent School District are making their voices heard by attempting to defend their rights after a new policy forces school leaders to inform parents if their child chooses to be referred to as a different pronoun.
Recommended Videos
The group of students claims that Katy ISD and its new gender policy goes against Title IX.
Title IX is a law that says people cannot be discriminated against based on their sex, regarding education programs and activities that receive federal funding. This also protects people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
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,” a previous draft of the policy given to KPRC reads.
The policy states that teachers would be allowed to use a student’s preferred pronouns with a parent’s written consent. However, district officials reportedly cannot and will not compel its staff or other students to address or refer to students in any manner that would violate the speaker’s First Amendment rights.
Are you a parent or guardian with a student in Katy Independent School District? We want to know your thoughts about Title IX