“Mansfield ISD’s actions are simply bullying masquerading as policy,” ACLU of Texas attorney Chloe Kempf said in an emailed statement to the Observer. Kempf said it’s unlawful and harmful to target LGBTQIA+ students with policies like these. “All students—no matter their gender, sexual orientation, race, or religion—deserve a safe and inclusive educational environment,” Kempf said.
School board trustee Benita Reed tried unsuccessfully to table the vote on the policy until next month to allow for more discussion. Reed said she was worried about the policy getting the board into a legal battle.
“I think everyone here knows that I am adamant about not going to court,” Reed said. “I want to do what is best for the students.”
She recommended a form for parents and students to fill out to determine how they would like situations like this to be handled. “Is there another way that we can restructure this so that we empower the parents and the family to make a decision and not make teachers afraid of their jobs and not make children afraid of the learning environment which should be safe?” Reed asked.
But board chair Keziah Farrar disagreed, saying the way the policy was written does empower parents. “It is literally just saying that if a student makes a request that we notify the parents,” she said. “And I think there’s a misunderstanding that the teachers are going to be responsible for this. That’s not the case at all. This will all be run by student services.”“I want to do what is best for the students.” – Benita Reed, school board trustee
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Reed said that while te board may agree about the need to empower parents, it may have different approaches to doing that. “Maybe some of the language could be different,” she suggested. “Some people may not want to be identified.”
Board trustee Michelle Newsom said she didn’t disagree entirely with what Reed was saying, recognizing that this is a challenging issue. “We walk a fine line between balancing parental rights versus student rights for all decisions that are made,” she said. “That’s a very hard decision depending on your lens and your perspective.”
But Newsom still backed the policy. She said professionals came up with the policy and that the board should listen to them. The board approved the policy in a 4–2 vote.
Ahead of the board meeting, the ACLU of Texas sent trustees a letter warning what the policy could mean for LGBTQIA+ students. The organization pointed out that the policy is similar to those passed in the Katy and Keller independent school districts. Katy ISD is the subject of a federal civil rights investigation, and Keller ISD faces a civil rights complaint.
The letter also mentioned the potential harmful effects of misgendering people. “When transgender students can use their affirming name and pronouns at school, they are 29% less likely to experience suicidal ideation and 56% less likely to engage in suicidal behavior,” the ACLU letter said. “School boards’ decisions with respect to the use of affirming pronouns therefore have a direct and immediate impact on students’ mental health.”
The ACLU added: “In addition to the challenges and worries that all youth face, transgender and non-binary young people have been recently confronted with significant harm and discrimination here in Texas. During and since the 2023 legislative session, these Texas youth have endured attacks on their health care, their ability to play sports, their access to inclusive educational materials and their very existence.”
