Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office has reached an agreement with the Dallas Independent School District (Dallas ISD) aimed at preventing violations of state law regarding transgender athletes participating in girls’ sports.
This action follows a February request from Paxton for records from both Dallas and Irving ISDs. The initial inquiry was prompted by videos released by Accuracy in Media, which appeared to show school district officials discussing methods for allowing biologically male students to compete on girls’ teams using altered birth certificates.
One video featured a Dallas ISD LGBTQ youth coordinator who stated that Texas does not require an original birth certificate for sport gender eligibility. As quoted in the video, the advisor remarked, “Always refining, you know? They find the loopholes in everything.” Further comments included, “I tell people all the time, I will go to jail for saving their child’s life,” and a seemingly dismissive comment about conservative families.
A similar situation was highlighted in another Accuracy in Media video released in January, where an Irving ISD official discussed the same potential loophole. The official stated, “Could you legally change the gender on a birth certificate? I don’t know enough about that subject… If you can get that done, and you turn us a birth certificate that says ‘this gender,’ that’s the gender we go with.”
Following these revelations, Paxton requested extensive documentation from both school districts. On March 31st, he formally petitioned to depose key officials within Dallas ISD to ensure compliance with Texas law.
The resulting agreement with Dallas ISD seeks to eliminate opportunities for exploiting such loopholes.
“I urge all other school districts to fulfill their legal obligations to protect girls’ sports and end any attempts to circumvent Texas law,” stated Paxton in a released statement. “Biological males have no place in girls’ sports, and any Texas public schools doing otherwise will be held accountable.”
The agreement comes amid the backdrop of Texas legislation. In June 2023, the Save Women’s Sports Act was enacted, prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports and requiring recognition of only the gender listed on a student’s birth certificate or corrections for clerical errors.
Key points to remember:
- The agreement aims to prevent exploitation of loopholes allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports.
- Investigations were triggered by videos highlighting potential methods for circumventing Texas law.
- Texas law mandates recognition of birth certificate gender, with limited exceptions for clerical corrections.
Paxton’s office emphasized the importance of upholding the Save Women’s Sports Act and ensuring fairness and safety within girls’ sports.