Civil rights investigations into Frisco, Keller schools sought over bathrooms and books

North Texas schools implementing policies that will harm LGBTQ children must be investigated, the ACLU of Texas said in federal civil rights complaints filed Monday evening. The ACLU’s attorneys — along with several other advocacy groups — want the Office of Civil Rights to investigate Keller ISD for its new policy prohibiting books about gender fluidity and Frisco ISD for its policy restricting bathroom usage to facilities that align with a person’s biological sex. Both policies, approved by trustees earlier this month, drew outcry from LGBTQ advocates. The ACLU argues that the districts’ actions violate federal law and harm vulnerable students, according to letters sent to federal officials Monday. Frisco officials could not immediately be reached for comment. Keller’s spokesman Bryce Nieman said the district is closed for the holiday this week and so officials have not seen a copy of the complaint.

Should the Office of Civil Rights open investigations, it could take months or even years to reach resolutions. If the office finds a civil rights violation, it would work to negotiate a “voluntary resolution agreement.” Federal officials would then monitor how those steps were implemented over time. “We very much hope that the Office of Civil Rights will quickly open an investigation and take all necessary remedial steps,” said Kate Huddleston, an attorney with ACLU of Texas. The Keller school board recently approved a policy prohibiting library books across all grade levels that references gender fluidity. The policy defines gender fluidity as promoting the idea that it’s possible for a person to be nonbinary. It also applies the term to any support of therapies that alter a person’s body to match their “self-believed gender that is different from the person’s biological sex,” as determined by their birth certificate.