IN-DEPTH: Top Texas School District Removes LGBTQ Terms, Returns Religion to Nondiscrimination Policy Language

Carroll ISD administration building in Southlake, Texas, on July 25, 2023. (Jana J. Pruet/The Epoch Times)

School board trustees in a top-ranked Texas school district voted to approve revisions to language in its nondiscrimination and harassment policies to align with state and federal definitions of protected classes.

The Carroll Independent School District (CISD) in Southlake, Texas, passed several revisions to its 2023-24 student code of conduct and student handbooks, including updated language that adds religion and removes LGBTQ-related terms from its nondiscrimination and harassment policies, as recommended by the district’s Policy Review Committee at its regular board meeting on July 24.

“CISD prioritizes the safety and well-being of our students with award-winning training protocols and procedures. The newly-approved Student Handbook details our nondiscrimination policy, which ensures that no student may be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or age,” a CISD spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.

In addition, the board adopted a policy that will not require teachers to call a student by a pronoun that does not match their biological sex and another that requires students to use the bathroom matching their sex and not their gender identity.

The seven-member board heard public comments before voting to pass the policy revisions for the 2023-24 school year, which begins on Aug. 15. Several nearby independent school districts (ISDs), Keller and Grapevine-Colleyville, have similar policies in place.

CISD is ranked No. 2 in the state of Texas by the Public School Review. The affluent Tarrant County district serves more than 8,400 students across 11 schools.

Since 2021, the district has been accused of “gender and sex discrimination,” racial discrimination, and violating the rights of students with disabilities. The allegations have led to eight investigations by the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Nondiscrimination Language Changes

Late last year, the district removed references to religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity from its nondiscrimination statement.

Assistant superintendent for administration and Policy Review Committee member Tamy Smalskas introduced the revisions to the board and other attendees.

She said the committee had spent numerous hours reviewing the student code of conduct and student handbook before making its most recent recommendations to the school board.

Ms. Smalskas explained that the committee’s recommendation to add religion back to its statement of nondiscrimination would not change the protections previously provided for all students and staff. Rather, it reintroduced religion to be consistent with the nondiscrimination language used in federal and state policies.

“The District prohibits discrimination, including harassment, against any student. Discrimination is an action taken against or in favor of a student based on the student’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, or any other basis prohibited by law that denies access to an education program or activity,” according to the revised statement of nondiscrimination as outlined in an online document.

Throughout the document, LGBTQ-related terms—including gender identity, gender-based, and sexual orientation—were struck from the nondiscrimination and harassment policies for staff and students.

“I want the board to know that any changes to gender-based harassment [are] protected under sexual harassment and the Title IX law,” Ms. Smalskas said. “CISD will keep all our students safe from discrimination or harassment.”

Gender and sexual orientation were also removed from the district’s definition of harassment to align with the nondiscrimination policy, she explained.

“Harassment of a student is defined as physical, verbal, or nonverbal conduct based on the student’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, or any other basis prohibited by law,” the document states.

New Policies

The board also passed two new policies.

The first requires students to use the designated bathrooms and locker rooms that matching the sex on their birth certificates.

“Individuals shall be required to use the facility that corresponds to their biological sex at birth,” the policy states, adding that the policy “does not prohibit the district from providing reasonable accommodations upon request.”

The board also moved to formally adopt a second policy that prohibits the requirement for teachers and other employees to promote, encourage, or call a student by a pronoun that is inconsistent with their biological sex.

“Previously, Carroll didn’t have a formal policy on this,” Trustee Andrew Yeager said during the discussion. “The practice that CISD followed was that it left it up to the individual to decide whether or not to accommodate another individual’s request to use a certain pronoun.”

“This new policy essentially codifies the practice,” he added.

The trustees approved the policies in a vote of 6-0, with one member not in attendance.

Public Remarks

Several community members addressed the board. Some shared concerns that the changes would create a “hostile environment” for some students.

“I’m concerned that the handbook combined with two other policies you are considering tonight will create a hostile environment for LGBTQ students and will lead to an atmosphere where even well-meaning teachers and administrators are unable to support those marginalized students,” said Pam Francis, who was on the Policy Review Committee and voted against the recommendations.

The mother of three CISD graduates also told the board that removing gender-based language from the student handbook would leave parents and students without a clear understanding of their protections.

“Parents and students do not know whether or if students are protected from discrimination and harassment based on their gender,” Ms. Francis continued. “And any examples of gender-based harassment that would have helped them understand have been removed.”

Student Brady Golumb, a high school senior, said he fears the changes will promote inappropriate behavior.

“Every day, I hear homophobic and racial slurs, and no one ever stops, and it’s against the rules,” the varsity track team member said of bullying at school. “I tell my teammates to stop. It is not okay. This is not right, and no one ever listens, but I’m starting to make headway. And by passing these new changes, it will wipe all my hard work away.”

Still, others spoke out in support of the changes.

Angie Dawkins, a mother of six sons who attend CISD, said she backs the committee’s proposals.

“There are those in our district who would have people believe that certain children lack protection in our schools because they believe these children belong to a protected class. I see no evidence in the 34 pages of the proposed student code of conduct or the 104 pages of the student handbook to support this claim,” Ms. Dawkins said.

“In the past, my kids have been on both sides of claims of bullying. What I have found helpful to remember is that anyone has the right to make a claim, and it is just that—a claim.”

Ms. Dawkins said she believes it is her responsibility to teach her children how to treat others with respect.

“As a parent, I take my own responsibility very seriously to teach my child to value others based on their God-given worth. That has nothing to do with the color of their skin or who they identify as,” she continued, adding that by choosing to enroll her students in CISD, she has placed her trust in the administration to conduct a “thorough and unbiased investigation” when claims are made against any student.

She went on to say that she feels “blessed” that her sons have the opportunity to “benefit from a top-notch education.”

“I will continue to speak up in support of the efforts of our administration when I hear others who also have the benefit of living within Carroll ISD boundaries denigrate and make false claims of discrimination or lack of protection for their children,” Ms. Dawkins said.

What Else?

The board members assured parents and staff that the district is dedicated to protecting all members of its staff and student body.

“It really bothers me, honestly, that we have had a few of our residents and people who have actually spoken here tonight feel that any member of this board does not protect and value every single student in our district,” CISD Board Trustee Eric Lannen said  “And I think we’ve heard we have due process.

“We have the protection we can have in place, and we want to protect every single student. So, it really bothers me that there would be people [who] feel that we’re not loving and caring of every one of our students.”