The Keller school board in Texas passed a new policy on Wednesday that could potentially limit bathroom access for transgender students.
The regulation also prevents district employees from “promoting, encouraging, or requiring the use of pronouns that are inconsistent with a student’s or other person’s biological sex,” a rule approved with a unanimous vote of 5-0, with one member abstaining.
As a result, staff will not be forced against their will to use speech demanded by transgender or nonbinary students.
These policy changes follow a recent trend in North Texas, where conservative-backed school boards, fueled by cultural tensions and substantial financial backing, have gained significant power.
The policy changes in Keller mirror those passed in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD last year, another district influenced by a conservative, Christian-focused political action committee, The Dallas Morning News reports.
Under the new policy, individuals are required to use facilities, including bathrooms and locker rooms, that align with their “gender assigned at birth.”
The schools are permitted to make accommodations, including providing single-user restrooms.
Keller ISD’s board president, Charles Randklev, commented on the policies saying they “lay the groundwork for protecting kids and educators. I also think they basically help us get off to a good start for the upcoming school year.”
The public showed a strong turnout at Wednesday’s board meeting.
Parents and other speakers expressed support for the new policies, arguing they were necessary to maintain student safety and privacy.
The policy, they argued, would not prevent staff from using preferred pronouns but only prevent mandatory usage.
“I don’t appreciate you taking my parental rights away by deciding how my child is to be addressed,” said Meredith Rentz, a Keller parent of a transgender child, voicing opposition to the policy, Dallas Morning News notes.
The district provides education to around 34,000 students.
Recent years have seen a surge of legislation opposed to the hyper-sexualization of the classroom in Texas, including a recent law prohibiting gender-related healthcare for transgender youth, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott.
