Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Dallas ISD reach agreement over transgender teens in girls' sports
The Dallas Independent School District and Attorney General Ken Paxton have agreed to make sure transgender teens aren't participating in girls' sports, the AG's office said on Friday.
This comes weeks after
Paxton questioned officials
with Dallas ISD as part of an investigation into whether the district is violating state law by allowing transgender teen athletes to compete in girls' sports.
"I urge all other school districts to fulfill their legal obligations to protect girls' sports and end any attempts to circumvent Texas law. Biological males have no place in girls' sports, and any Texas public schools doing otherwise will be held accountable," Paxton said.
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 argued 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 alleged she said that the district "find[s] the loopholes in everything" and that she is willing to go to jail for defying Texas law.
Paxton's office said Gaston resigned amid the investigation.
Dallas ISD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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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"I think that will depend on the debate in the judicial system between the Trump administration's argument that Texas cannot provide benefits to undocumented immigrants and that it doesn't apply to all U.S. citizens," said Jones. Domingo Garcia, civil rights leader, co-author of the original Texas DREAM Act, and immediate past National President of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), issued the following statement in response to Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Republican leaders following their decision to dismantle the historic in-state tuition policy for undocumented students: "We stand unshakable against any form of discrimination, racism, or attempts to undermine the rights and dignity of our diverse communities. The ugly and unethical late-night legal filings to undo the Texas Dream Act by the attorney general and the governor, and what was used by the Department of Justice, are despicable and mean-spirited. The recent remarks and actions targeting the Hispanic community in Texas are deeply concerning and do not reflect the values of fairness, justice, and equality that our society is built commend students for their courage in defending educational equity and fighting against divisive policies. Ensuring all children have access to quality education is a moral obligation and a foundation for a stronger, more inclusive future for Texas. Real Christians do not persecute defenseless children. Real Americans defend everyone's right to an call on all stakeholders, government officials, community members, and organizations to unite in condemning efforts that seek to vilify or marginalize any group. Let us work together to promote understanding, respect, and justice for all Texans, regardless of background or commitment remains strong: to support policies that foster inclusion, to oppose those rooted in division, and to ensure that every voice is heard and valued. We believe that Texas thrives when its diversity is celebrated. LULAC will look at all legal, political, and civil options to right this injustice." What's next Undocumented students are already not eligible for federal financial aid. The Source Information in this article was prvodied by interviews conducted by FOX 4's Steven Dial.
