Texas is now taking legal action to stop transgender bathrooms in public schools across the state. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Wednesday that he is taking the lead, filing a multi-state lawsuit to ensure that Texas schools do not have to follow President Barack Obama’s directive.
The Obama administration sent out a letter earlier this month to public schools in the country, telling them to allow transgender students to use bathrooms matching their gender identity. The letter also explained that if schools do not comply, they could face the loss of federal funding.
“This crosses socioeconomic lines, Republican Democrat lines,” Paxton said in a press conference on Wednesday. “This is about parents who are upset, Grandparents who are upset, and they want to make sure the safety of their children is taken care of.”
Paxton said Texas is joining 10 other states to fight Obama’s guidelines. So far, Harold ISD is the only Texas school district to participate in the lawsuit.
“It is simply a matter of telling the President of the United States, telling the Department of Education, telling the Department of Labor, telling the EEOC that they don’t have the authority to just change law,” Paxton said. “We’re open to helping any school district that wants our help.”
David Thweatt, the superintendent of Harold ISD joined Paxton during Wednesday’s press conference. Thweatt said the Harold school district changed its policy last week in response to President Obama’s letter.
“We are standing firm in saying that we are going to protect the rights of our children in a way that is appropriate,” Thweatt said. “Boys will use boys restrooms, girls will use girls restrooms.”
Thweatt said he is concerned about the possibility of losing federal funding, but said the safety of his students is what matters the most.
“We are not discriminating specifically against anyone in this particular issue,” Thweatt said. “What we are doing, is we are doing the right thing for our policy and for any future students who come to our school.”
Manny Garcia, Executive Director of the Texas Democratic Party, said the lawsuit filed Wednesday is an embarrassment for Texas. Garcia said it isn’t protecting the students, instead it is “blatant discrimination”.
“This is about making sure that every child is safe, respected, and welcomed within their school,” Garcia said. “These are children we are talking about, and there is no reason why the Republican leadership should see it fit to bully transgender kids.”
Equality Texas, one of the largest pro LGBT organization in Texas, also condemned the lawsuit.
“This suit punishes transgender students protected by Title IX and the U.S. Department of Education,” Equality Texas said in a statement released Wednesday, “and the attorney general will waste precious time and resources and millions of dollars to harm Texans who have done nothing wrong.”
The other states that joined Texas in filing the lawsuit include Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
