HOUSTON – Alliance Defending Freedom sent a letter to Houston Independent School District officials Monday seeking confirmation they have stopped treating one couple’s daughter as a boy—a so-called “social transition” of the girl, who is a student in the district—and requesting that it provide documents to the couple.
In December 2023, the Houston family discovered a masculine name on their daughter’s school work and learned that HISD employees had been treating her as a boy for several months. They instructed the employees to immediately stop. Although employees initially agreed, the parents later discovered employees had repeatedly ignored their instructions. In a 2024 meeting with the principal of their daughter’s school, the principal did not immediately assure the parents that employees would stop. Instead, he suggested the parents should explore a “middle ground” solution. ADF is requesting that the school provide clear confirmation that the couple’s daughter will be referred to by her given name and correct pronouns, as well as provide documents related to the events that occurred.
“Parents have the right to direct the upbringing, education, and health care of their children without fear of government interference,” said ADF Senior Counsel Kate Anderson, director of ADF’s Center for Parental Rights. “Schools should never hide vital information from parents, let alone go against their express wishes for their children. School officials should support parents, not replace them, which is why we’re insisting that the school confirm they are respecting these parents’ constitutional rights.”
After the pattern of repeated failure from teachers to treat the student consistent with her sex, the parents sent several public records requests to understand what had happened. One response to these record requests indicated that teachers were continuing to ignore the parents’ instructions even after their meeting with the principal.
In another records request sent in January, the school initially said that it had over 18,000 responsive documents related to their request, but one month later said that there were no responsive documents and closed the request. Despite the principal telling the parents that a counselor had relayed their instructions to teachers, the parents have no confidence that their daughter is being treated according to those instructions and have been forced to seek a clear answer from the school district.
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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