Several parents told board members that Keller school district’s proposal to ban nicknames and pronouns that not consistent with a student’s name and gender on their birth certificate is an attack on the LGBTQ students.
The issue was a point of contention Thursday evening as the proposal — titled “identification of students” — was on the school board’s meeting agenda.
A former Keller ISD student started the discussion, saying he felt the need to “speak up” for other students.
“These new policies being proposed by the board will be extremely harmful to our LGBTQ students,” the former student said.
He — in addition to other Keller students who spoke at the meeting — added that the proposal forces children to come out to family members who may not be accepting of their identity, thus putting them at risk of being kicked out.
“Not everyone has the luxury of a family who is loving or accepting of them, no matter their identity,” he said.
According to the proposal, staff and other school district employees “shall not promote, encourage, or require the use of pronouns that are inconsistent with a student’s or other person’s biological sex as it appears on the individual’s birth certificate.”
The former student described to the board members that being referred to by one’s preferred pronouns is a “harmless gesture.”
“All that is being done by purposely misgendering someone is telling them that they are not welcomed or accepted, a feeling that no kid should have to deal with at school,” he said.
He, along with other high school students at the meeting, contend that school board members have used their positions to spread hateful ideology through its policies and social media.
A student at Keller ISD can only be called by their preferred name or pronouns if they have been given permission by parents or legal guardians, the proposal says. Furthermore, a different name can be used for a student when it is necessary for academic instruction, such as using a name more common in a foreign country while in a foreign language course.
This, said Jennifer Ramsey, a parent with children in Keller schools, is discriminatory toward the LGBTQ community.
The only nicknames that are allowed are those commonly associated with a student’s given name.
“Other groups have exceptions except for that one group,” said Ramsey in reference to LGBTQ students. “Isolating a group, that creates a hostile environment.”
Another parent of two children in Keller said the board claims the proposal is necessary to protect female students.
“You have yet to cite a single example of a trans student victimizing anyone in our schools,” said the parent. She asked the board if the students are just “props” for the members’ “larger political agenda.”
The parent added that the board can’t keep its “reasons straight” regarding its proposals on LGBTQ-issues, including the school district’s book bans that gained national attention in 2022 . The bans included books that had trans characters, according to the parent.
“Books aren’t the problem, neither are trans kids that are just trying to live their lives or teachers who are willing to listen to a student when asked to be called by a different name,” she concluded.
In a Facebook post published before the meeting, Keller trustee Charlves Randklev said the members would be previewing a “parental rights policy,” which aims to “empower parents and codifies their role as the main decision makers not only in their children’s education but in decisions that influence their upbringing, moral values, and care.”
The proposal demands teachers or district staff to notify parents when a student has requested to be called by a different name or by their preferred pronouns. The proposal says the notice also applies to students when they request to use facilities, such as bathrooms or lockers rooms, that are not consistent with their biological sex.
One of the last speakers cited the school board’s reference of Texas Education Code Section 26 in its proposal to support the passing of the student identification policy. The code says an attempt by any school district employee to encourage or coerce a child to withhold information from a child’s parent is grounds for discipline.
She said the board’s proposed policy is not consistent with the code as the words “encourage” and “coerce” suggest a scenario that is distinct from a district employee not disclosing information to a parent.
“Nondisclosure is not an attempt to encourage or coerce,” the speaker said.
She asked board members to discuss “the burden” the policy places on staff and the financial burden it has on the district due to attorney and other legal fees.
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