Southlake's Carroll ISD argues against Title IX policy in federal courtroom
FORT WORTH, Texas - Lawyers for Carroll ISD were in court Monday to argue against a new Biden administration policy.
The district is challenging Title IX rules that expand protections for LGBTQ+ students.
A federal courtroom in Downtown Fort Worth is the venue for the latest legal maneuvers involving Carroll ISD.
The school district known for high athletic achievements argued its case in what is believed to be the first lawsuit in the country suing the Biden administration over looming Title IX changes, which are set to extend protections for LGBTQ students.
"This lawsuit is about protecting our daughters and girls from boys, accessing their bathrooms and locker room and competing on their athletic teams," said CISD Board Trustee Cam Bryan.
Conservative groups show support for Carroll ISD's lawsuit over Title IX changes
The Carroll ISD school board didn't comment on the status of the lawsuit against the rewrite of Title IX in Monday's meeting. But many people thanked the board for standing up to a change that they say threatens the future of women's sports.
The U.S. Department of Education has said the updates ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Carroll ISD’s attorneys say the new rules would allow boys who simply choose to identify as female to compete against girls, which is an unfair advantage. They also say it would present safety concerns and mental trauma.
In court, the school district’s attorney told Judge Reed O’Conner, "There are instances of harm caused when a female has to undress and change clothes next to a biological male."
The Department of Education’s attorney said that the new Title IX rules "do not compromise privacy."
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The district has not responded, but two community groups on Tuesday called on Carroll ISD to resolve discrimination complaints going back several years.
"There’s a Texas law that prohibits competition inconsistent with sex on athletic teams," said CISD attorney Matthew Hoffman. "What Title IX, if it goes into effect, would require of schools, Texas couldn’t enforce that law basically, if this were to go into effect. So currently, it’s not an issue. But it could be in the future."
The district also argued the changes would be extremely costly as potentially it would need to retrain its 1,200 employees to comply with the new rules. The district also says it would likely have to reconstruct restrooms.
"Without this lawsuit, the school district would run the risk that it would have to implement policies that violate the rights, protections and safety of its students and staff. We are not willing to take that risk," Bryan said.
The Title IX changes are set to take effect August 1. Carroll ISD hopes to win a judgment to stop those changes from taking place.