KATY, Texas — Katy ISD's board meeting went deep into the night as nearly 100 people came to address their concerns about a controversial gender identification policy.
KHOU 11 was the only news station at the meeting as the district passed the new policy late Monday night by a 4-3 vote.
The measure limits how teachers can use pronouns at school. Things got heated during the meeting which ended just before midnight after about four hours of public comments.
The new policy requires teachers to tell parents if their students are using a different pronoun or name. Teachers can only use pronouns that match a student's gender at birth unless they have permission from the student's parents or guardians. It also bans students from using the restroom of their choice.
"I really am for the idea that parents should be in charge of minor kids," Shirley Thomas, a former Katy ISD parent said.
Some applauded the effort to give parents more authority, while most were against the idea.
"It really hurts that these people would put so much effort into hurting vulnerable children who have never done anything to them," Sarah Allen said after the vote. "It's not something I can understand."
While the policy is now in place at Katy ISD, it may not be the end of the story. Some board members fear the possibility of lawsuits. Parents also expressed concern that the policy will end up wasting a lot of taxpayer money.
According to the Texas Tribune, the ACLU has already called for civil rights investigations into Frisco and Keller ISD after recently implementing policies similar to Katy ISD's. The ALCU claims both school districts violated Title IX with their policies, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school that receives federal funding.
A similar civil rights complaint was filed against Carroll ISD by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.