Rating: Transneutral, Chron, September 5, 2023 (PDF archive) (HTML archive) (Take Action)

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Content Summary

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Katy ISD ‘administrator’ will enforce new transgender policy

Katy Independent School District will have an “FFJ Student Welfare Administrator” at every school campus to “ensure the new policy’s requirements are met,” according to a district spokesperson. The district’s introduction of these FFJ Student Welfare administrators comes a few days after board of trustees members voted to implement a policy where district employees must alert parents if their child comes out as transgender.

The new policy passed in a 4-3 vote by trustees also requires staff to seek parental approval if a student asks to be called by different pronouns than the ones assigned at birth.

“This administrator, in collaboration with the campus principal, will ensure the new policy’s requirements are met. It is recommended that staff share all questions and concerns regarding the implementation of the policy with their designated FFJ Student Welfare Administrator and/or principal,” Katy ISD Director of Communication Craig Eichhorn said.

Under district policy, students must also use district facilities like bathrooms, locker rooms, and changing places with their gender assigned at birth. Any instructional materials or context around gender fluidity is banned under district policy. District staff also can not diagnose or treat gender dysphoria and “will respect the right of the parent to determine what is best for the welfare of their child.”

According to Katy ISD, the FFJ administrator is “responsible for receiving and processing staff notifications regarding the implementation of this policy.” 

“Except to the extent prohibited by law or in cases of suspected abuse, District staff will notify parents if their child requests he or she be identified as transgender, change his or her name, or use different pronouns at school,” Eichhorn said.

It’s still unclear if the student welfare administrator will be a new position in the district or be reconfigured from another department. Nearly 100 people spoke against the policy in a school board meeting on Aug. 29, where the majority of the speakers said the measure could cause more harm than good to transgender and queer students. On the other side, trustees who voted for the policy said the measure is about prioritizing “parental rights.”

Kennedy is a reporter for Chron covering all things Houston.

She was previously a political reporter with the Texas Signal. She enjoys traveling, reading romance novels and hyping her hometown.

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