On April 26, the Superintendent of the Fort Worth, Texas, Independent School District (ISD) unilaterally issued new transgender student guidelines at the Board of Trustees’ meeting dictating serious and dangerous new policies, effective immediately. They were not debated, discussed or voted on at any Board meetings.
These new guidelines (many of which may actually violate Texas state law) say employees of the district will undergo adverse employment action if they do not go along with all of the new guidelines that clearly violate not only common sense, but First Amendment speech and religious liberty rights. They can no longer use the words “boy” and “girl” and must abandon gender references, information about the students gender expression on campus will be withheld from parents, no medical or mental health diagnosis is required in order to have a student claim an identity and therefore, have full rights to the opposite sex locker rooms, bathrooms, etc. Click here to read the actual guidelines.
They are making the guidelines look as if they are in accordance with governing law, but there is no federal or state law on this. Title IX, which was written in 1972, states that you cannot discriminate based on sex (sex meant male or female) in order to receive federal funds. School districts are not required to make any transgender policy changes by Texas or Federal law, even if it is the desire of bureaucrats from the Department of Education to make up new definitions and set up interdepartmental guidelines without having any amendments to the law passed by Congress. The Department of Education Office of Civil Rights is bullying school districts into believing they have no choice but to make these policy changes as is currently happening in Chicago, Illinois. Click here to read more about that situation.
The Fort Worth ISD guidelines are mandatory and retroactive to the 2015-2016 school year unless revised or revoked. They must, and can be, revoked with public outcry and parental as well as local and statewide involvement. Will you join us as we commit this issue in pray and then take action?
Please pray about this very concerning situation.
- Pray for each member of the Fort Worth ISD School Board by name.
- Pray that the Fort Worth district parents, community and our state will overwhelmingly rise up against this.
- Pray for the Lord’s wisdom and strategy as we oppose these guidelines and the individuals perpetrating them.
Take action now!
- If you live in the Fort Worth area please attend the Fort Worth ISD School Board meeting on Tuesday, May 10, 2016, at 5:30 p.m. to be held in the Board of Education complex at 2903, Shotts Street, Fort Worth, TX 76107.
- Email each member of the Fort Worth ISD Board and respectfully express your concerns. Even if you don’t live in Fort Worth school district, this sets a dangerous precedent and they need to hear from all Texans.
Jacinto “Cinto” Ramos, Jr – jacinto.ramos@fwisd.org
Tobi Jackson – tobi.jackson@fwisd.org
Christene Chadwick Moss – christene.moss@fwisd.org
Theophlous Aron Sims, Sr. – ta.sims@fwisd.org
Judy Needham – judy.needham@fwisd.org
Ann Sutherland – ann.sutherland@fwisd.org
Norman Robbins – norman.robbins@fwisd.org
Matthew Avila – matthew.avila@fwisd.org
Ashley Paz – ashley.paz@fwisd.org
3. Please forward this e-alert to fellow Texans, especially those in Fort Worth.
Blessings,
Ann Hettinger
State Director
CWA of Texas
director@texas.cwfa.org