A school district in Texas has implemented a new, controversial student pronoun policy that requires teachers to address their students using pronouns that correspond to their biological sex.
According to Fox 4, the new policy changes in the Keller Independent School District state that teachers must use pronouns that match the student’s birth certificate, regardless of whether the student wishes to use different pronouns.
Under the change approved by the school board Thursday night, parents will also be notified if a student wishes to use a different name or pronoun than what is listed on their birth certificate.
In order for a student to use a different name or pronoun, parents must provide written notification to the school.
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Keller Independent School District’s new policy changes state that teachers must use pronouns that match the student’s birth certificate. (iStock)
Before the new changes, the district’s policy stated that educators could not encourage or mandate the use of pronouns that were inconsistent with a student’s biological sex.
This comes amid a national debate in schools and governments across the country about whether students should be referred to by their preferred name and pronouns without parents’ knowledge. Last year, Katy ISD in Texas implemented a similar policy requiring parental notification.
Some Republican-led states have passed laws that, to protect parental rights, require parents to be notified if their child wants to use a different name or pronoun. Some Democratic-led states oppose such a requirement on the grounds that it could harm LGBTQ+ students.
The American Civil Liberties Union had sent a letter to the district warning trustees not to approve the measures, alleging they were illegal and discriminatory.
However, the board unanimously approved the new guidelines.
Parents must be notified if a student wishes to use a different name or pronoun than that shown on his or her birth certificate. (iStock)
According to Fox 4 and NBC 5, several students and parents criticized the district’s new policy in the public comment section of a recent school board meeting.
“Every day I walk into a school and my classmates and I are suffering. It seems like the school district is increasingly putting budget cuts and a political agenda above the health of its students,” said Kennedy Schultz, a 12th grader at Keller ISD.
Another 12th-grader, Madison Hickman, told district officials, “You have created an environment where fear and isolation could become the norm for our most vulnerable students. I hope this brings you the kind of community you strive for, one where conformity is valued over compassion. Hate is not a value of Keller ISD.”
Mary Anne Weatherred, a mother of teenagers in the same district, said she shared students’ concerns that a child could be “outed” and have problems with parents who may not accept him or her.
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Several students and parents criticized the district’s new policy. (ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images)
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“Not all families are the same and not all families accept children discovering their gender identity. That will create a difficult situation for them at home,” Weatherred said. “They find that school is a place where they can use a different name and a different pronoun and find out who they are.”
However, another mother, Marissa Bryce, said that while she understands some people’s concerns about the policy change, she supports the revision.
“I think that’s a good place to start. Parents need to know what’s going on in their school, they need to know what their kids are thinking,” Bryce said.
