The Argyle Independent School District has passed a resolution denouncing planned changes to the civil rights law known as Title IX. The Biden Administration had intended for expanded rules to include LGBTQ students to take effect August 1.
The Department of Education would add sexual orientation and gender identity to language laid out in the law.
"For more than 50 years, Title IX has promised an equal opportunity to learn and thrive in our nation's schools free from sex discrimination. These final regulations build on the legacy of Title IX by clarifying that all our nation’s students can access schools that are safe, welcoming, and respect their rights," U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona wrote in a statement announcing the changes.
The Biden Administration would require schools to follow the guidelines in order to continue receiving federal money. The White House intended for the rule to take effect August 1, but a judge in Texas has issued a temporary injunction to allow a lawsuit filed on behalf of Carroll ISD to work through court.
The lawsuit was filed by Alliance Defending Freedom and says the changes would "attack the rights and freedom of girls in the state of Texas."
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Department of Education in 2023, calling the guidance "arbitrary and capricious." Last month, Paxton sent schools an advisory saying they "should not adopt or enforce any of the policy changes contained in the rule."
Carroll ISD had previously passed a resolution saying the changes had the potential to undermine the rights and protections of students.
"These changes may introduce confusion and ambiguity regarding the implementation and enforcement of Title IX, potentially jeopardizing the safety and well-being of students in our district," the resolution read.
Now, Argyle ISD trustees have unanimously passed a similar measure.
"What this resolution does is allow us as a district and you as a board to make sure our students know they will be safe," Superintendent Courtney Carpenter said at the meeting where the measure was passed.
Carpenter said Argyle ISD already has "robust, multistep processes" in place at each campus to protect kids from any type of bullying, harassment or discrimination.
"I wanted to make sure everybody heard that because that is what our campuses use in order to protect all of our students," she said.
Along with the resolution, Argyle ISD included a letter signed by 90 state lawmakers addressed to President Joe Biden "to express strong opposition to the rules."
In April, Governor Greg Abbott sent an order telling the Texas Education Agency to ignore the Department of Education's guidance.
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