Texas AG Ken Paxton presses Dallas ISD over alleged trans athlete law violations
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has formally requested to question officials with the Dallas Independent School District as part of an investigation into whether the district is violating state law by allowing transgender teen athletes to compete in girls' sports — and possibly encouraging students to change their birth certificates to do so.
In February
Paxton requested an extensive list of documents from both DISD and Irving ISD
after district officials were allegedly filmed, separately, telling parents that trans students could play in women's sports if the parents changed their birth certificates to "female."
The AG's office argues that DISD's LGBT Youth Program Coordinator Mahoganie Gaston was filmed telling a parent that a trans student would be allowed to participate in girls' sports if the parent changed the birth certificate of their son to "female." The office also alleges she said that the district "find[s] the loopholes in everything" and that she is willing to go to jail for defying Texas law.
Irving ISD's Executive Director of Campus Operations
Reny Lizardo
was filmed informing a parent that a trans student could play in women's sports if the parents changed the student's birth certificate to "female," the AG's office claims.
Paxton deposed Dallas ISD Superintendent
Stephanie Elizalde
, LGBT Youth Program Coordinator Mahoganie Gaston and the members of the Board of Trustees.
"School districts must follow the law, keep our children safe, and end these insane 'gender theory' policies that ignore reality and encourage illegal actions. ISD officials who have participated in this madness will be held accountable," Paxton said. "The systematic effort by Dallas ISD officials to circumvent Texas law will be exposed and stopped."
Paxton has also demanded documents from
Hutto and Richardson ISDs for allegedly violating state law
by allowing trans athletes to participate in girls' sports.
CBS News Texas has reached out to Dallas ISD for comment and is waiting for a response.
In October 2021, Gov. Greg
Abbott signed a bill into law
that banned trans women and girls in K-12 schools from participating in sports teams aligned with their gender identities. It forces athletes to compete on teams on the basis of their "biological sex," or the sex that was "correctly stated" on their birth certificate, according to
the text of the legislation
.
He signed the
Save Women's Sports Act
into law in June 2023 which bans trans athletes from participating in collegiate sports teams that match their gender identities.
The bill included provisions that prevent trans athletes who have had their sex changed on their birth certificates from participating in sports teams aligned with their gender identities by defining sex as what was "entered on or near the time of the student's birth," and only recognizes changes made to birth certificates that were done to correct a clerical error.
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Politico
12 hours ago
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Paxton presents an opportunity in Texas — if Democrats can take advantage of it
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Democrats acknowledge they'd stand little chance of unseating Cornyn, who's been a fixture in Texas politics for decades. But Paxton, a Trump loyalist who was impeached by the Republican-held Texas House (and acquitted in the impeachment trial) and faced a federal corruption investigation, has been a polarizing figure in the Texas GOP, and, Democrats hope, an opponent they could defeat. 'Democrats are foaming at the mouth about Ken Paxton,' said Katherine Fischer, deputy executive director of Texas Majority PAC, which works to elect Democrats statewide. 'We're seeing in local elections in Texas and across the country there is already a backlash against Trump and against MAGA. Ken Paxton is about as MAGA as you can get.' First they need to find a viable Senate candidate. After coming up short in previous cycles, many Texas Democrats are hesitant about supporting former Reps. Colin Allred and Beto O'Rourke, both of whom have signaled their interest in another bid. 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Politico
a day ago
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Yahoo
3 days ago
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Trouble signs grow for Cornyn in Texas
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'Holy cow, like how does he ever anticipate climbing back into this in the good graces of a MAGA-led GOP base with those two anchors around his neck?' the unnamed GOP strategist said. Others note that the latest polling is less about Cornyn and more about Paxton's own popularity with the base, particularly coming out of the latter's impeachment trial in the Texas state House. Paxton has been a central figure in an ongoing civil war within the Texas Republican Party. In 2023, he was acquitted in 2023 on 16 articles of impeachment amid allegations that he had used the power of his office to aid his friend. The impeachment effort partly led to a campaign by Paxton and his allies in the Lone Star State to purge the legislature of Republicans they saw as disloyal. Next year's Senate primary is seen as the latest development in that intraparty conflict. 'A lot of Republican grassroots activists and voters like what they see in terms of his leadership at the office of attorney general,' Steinhauser said. 'They see Paxton as someone who is on the right wing of the party and so a lot of the activists are excited about his candidacy.' 'If there was someone else running against Cornyn, maybe even a congressman or a state senator or someone like that, I don't think you would see those numbers,' he continued. Paxton has painted himself as a victim of the political establishment, in many ways mirroring the strategy Trump deployed in his runs for office. 'I think it's MAGA vs. DC,' Eberhart said. 'Cornyn is a gentler Republican from a past era. Paxton is a fighter and that's what Texas Republicans want.' Still, it's unclear whether Trump will endorse in the primary. The president is fond of Paxton, but has worked with Cornyn in the Senate. And even if Trump were to back Cornyn, the internal poll released earlier this week showed Paxton continuing to lead Cornyn. After voters were told to assume Trump would endorse Cornyn, Paxton would attack Cornyn for his past comments on Trump and Paxton would attack Cornyn over working with Democrats on gun safety legislation, Cornyn trailed Paxton 62 percent to 21 percent. 'I wouldn't underestimate [Cornyn],' Steinhauser said, referring to Cornyn. 'He's never lost an election yet in Texas. He still has a lot of loyal voters. I think if Trump stays out of the race, which I think he's going to do, then I think it will tighten up a bit.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
