The Austin Independent School District (AISD) is looking to bring back a sex education curriculum to the classrooms. The school district sent surveys to parents and guardians for feedback on teaching sex ed to its students. Under new state rules, parents must opt in their children. Texas Values’ Senior Policy Advisor, Mary Elizabeth Castle, weighed in on this decision, stating that Texas Values will be monitoring AISD and making sure the curriculum sticks to the standards adopted by the state: “Those standards teach optimized health for kids…They teach abstinence, but they also teach healthy family formation. They teach kids how to make good decisions and they teach them about diseases.”

Parents have until May 6 to complete the survey. The school board is expected to issue a final vote in late June.

Texas Values Opposes Round Rock ISD Allowing Male High Schooler in Female Locker Rooms

On another school controversy, Texas Values sent out a press release last week opposing Round Rock ISD (RRISD) allowing a male high school student to use a female locker room. Late last year, an RRISD female high school senior experienced trauma and unfair treatment when a male high school junior walked in on her locker room while she was undressing to change her gym clothes. The school district failed to give parents or students advance notice of the fact that they had approved a male student to use the girls' locker room, as the student appears to claim he "identifies" as a female. In response, the girl’s parents filed a safety grievance with RRISD, asking for a clear policy regarding who has access to sex-specific spaces on school district campuses. Texas Values recently filed a Public Information Act request with the school district on this issue. After staff-level meetings failed to establish any clear policy or adequate solution, her parents requested an in-person hearing from RRISD. Texas Values president and attorney Jonathan Saenz has been retained to represent the parents in this matter. So far, the school district has not acknowledged a policy in place allowing males to be in female locker rooms or restrooms and has failed to schedule a hearing for the parents.  

Texas Values Update on Austin and Round Rock ISDs

Parent Dressed as the Easter Bunny Handed Out Condoms in Easter Eggs to Children

Last week a parent dressed as the Easter Bunny handed out eggs on an elementary school campus in the Austin Independent School District. Some of the eggs contained candy, but others contained unopened condoms. Gullett Elementary School Principal Tammy Thompson said the event was not planned, and the school was completely unaware. Parents were outraged at this inappropriate incident involving elementary age school kids.

Texas Values’ Mary Elizabeth Castle Invited to Be a Judge at the Reagan Great Communicator Debate

Earlier this month, Texas Values Senior Policy Advisor, Mary Elizabeth Castle, was invited to be a judge of the final rounds of the Reagan Great Communicator Debate Series at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, where she attended undergraduate school. The Reagan Great Communicator Debate Series is a program conducted by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation, which plans to launch a program in Texas. Other judges on the panel that Mary Elizabeth served on included Texas House Rep. Tan Parker, Bill Chatfield from the U.S. Department of Defense, Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn, Dr. Raymund King, Suzanne Grisham from Mercury One, and Sergeant Johnnie Yellock, III.

Save the Date! Texas Values to Host a 9 Month Celebration of Texas Heartbeat Law on June 1

Mark your calendars!  On June 1, Texas Values will host a symposium titled, “Our Pro-Life Moment: 9 Month Celebration of the Texas Heartbeat Law, Dobbs Supreme Court Case, & A Vision for a Post-Roe America.”  Join us in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for this event.  The event will also be live-streamed for those who are not able to join in person.  More details coming soon. You can RSVP at [email protected].