AG Paxton Claims School’s Pride Week Violated State Law

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told Austin Independent School District (AISD) in a letter that its Pride Week event was “breaking state law.”

Paxton wrote the letter on Tuesday to the district, saying that by hosting Pride Week, the school “has, at best, undertaken a week-long instructional effort in human sexuality without parental consent. Or, worse [the] district is cynically pushing a week-long indoctrination of [students] that not only fails to obtain parental consent but subtly cuts parents out of the loop.” 

According to AISD’s school website, its Pride Week took place from March 21 until March 26. It was “a time to highlight the district’s commitment to creating a safe, supportive and inclusive environment” to align “with the National LGBT Health Awareness Week.” It is the eighth year the district has held a Pride Week.

Each campus received an “inspiration guide” of suggested activities for Pride Week. Students and staff were welcomed to visit their “campus front office to pick up Pride and Ally stickers, posters, flags, pronoun buttons, and more.” 

Paxton went after AISD’s curriculum and lesson plans during the week, writing that they “deal head-on with sexual orientation and gender identity — topics that unmistakably constitute ‘human sexuality instruction’ governed by state law.”

“The Texas Legislature has made it clear that when it comes to sex education, parents — not school districts — are in charge,” the letter states. The Texas AG noted that parents could file complaints against the school district with the school board and the Texas Education Agency.

Lesson plans during Pride Week reportedly included teaching children as young as five that they can be “trans” and “non-binary,” and another that advises teachers to tell kids, “Some people aren’t boys or girls, they’re just people.'”

Activities included “pride parades” in elementary school and “Queer Eye” TV show watch parties, and “community circles.”

In his letter to AISD, Paxton cited “community circles,” which reportedly were teacher-led conversations with kids about LGBT behaviors, where children as young as four were instructed to keep confidential “presumably from parents.” The alleged confidentiality of the “community circles” was reportedly meant to allow students to speak freely without the fear of getting teased by other students.

AISD spokesman Jason Stanford denied this was the case telling The Washington Post, “Never in a million years are we telling these kids not to tell things to their parents.”

Less than an hour after Paxton’s office tweeted out his letter, AISD’s superintendent, Stephanie Elizalde, tweeted back.

“I want all our LGBTQIA+ students to know that we are proud of them and that we will protect them against political attacks,” read the tweet from Elizalde.

I want all our LGBTQIA+ students to know that we are proud of them and that we will protect them against political attacks. https://t.co/fNGiaoNM3q

— Dr. Stephanie S. Elizalde (@AustinISDsupt) March 23, 2022

Stanford said that after Paxton’s letter, the celebration continued as planned.

“We’re going to react to this by doubling down on making sure our kids feel safe and celebrating Pride,” Stanford said.

“This is not a parental rights issue,” Stanford added. “This is a Ken Paxton trying to score political points issue.” He noted that Paxton is in the midst of a runoff election against George P. Bush. 

After information about the district’s Pride Week agenda made it on Twitter, KUT reported that administrators at AISD’s Doss Elementary School had their personal information posted online and received death threats. Stanford said that students were forced to celebrate indoors as police were stationed outside.

“The kids had no idea what was going on, but the teachers were afraid to go to work,” Stanford added. “So the last thing we’re worried about is what Ken Paxton has to say.”