Carroll ISD says Title IX gender identity rules put students at risk as it waits for judge's ruling on lawsuit
SOUTHLAKE — Attorneys representing Carroll ISD were in court Monday. They're suing over changes to Title IX, which will soon include protections for gender identity.
"The hearing today was on our request, Carroll ISD's request, to delay the enforcement date," Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Mathew Hoffman said.
The district is suing the Biden administration over the rewriting of Title IX, which became law in 1972 to give girls equal access to education and athletics. It will soon extend protections to LGBTQ+ students by redefining "sex" to include a student's gender identity.
"This lawsuit is about protecting our daughters and girls from boys accessing their bathrooms and locker rooms and competing on their athletic teams," Carroll ISD School Board President Cam Bryan said.
At a recent school board meeting, several Southlake parents spoke in support of the lawsuit. There was no public opposition. The district believes the changes to Title IX will undermine the safety and security of some of its students.
"In Carroll ISD there are currently some students who identify as a gender inconsistent with sex and so to the extent where these regulations go into effect, the district will have to make changes based on that," Hoffman said.
He said this would come at a significant cost.
"It's forcing in new regulations to train all its employees," Hoffman said. "That's a requirement and it would be forced to do that.. which for the school district which has approximately 1,200 employees is a significant expense."
The Title IX changes are set to go into effect August 1. At a special school board meeting Monday night, no additional action was taken.
"From here we await the judge's decision," Hoffman said.
