The top local stories this morning from KERA News: Restroom access for transgender students continue to be an issue in the Fort Worth school district. Though it wasn’t on the agenda, supporters and opponents of the guidelines spoke out at a school trustee meeting last night.
The guidelines direct school staff to respect students’ gender identity and make adjustments for their safety – like offering the use of a single-stall restroom or a bathroom where other students are not present.
Fort Worth parent Chris Sullivan criticized the school board for a lack of transparency, while Nathan, a transgender man and a graduate of Trimble Tech, said the policy could save lives.
“For some trans individuals, school is their safe place, believe it or not,” he told trustees. “These guidelines could be life-saving. It would’ve made a world of difference if they were in place when I was in school.”
The state attorney general also weighed in. In a non-binding opinion issued yesterday, Ken Paxton said the school district’s guidelines for transgender students violate state law because they were created without their consent. .
Fort Worth Superintendent Kent Scribner has said he’s confident the guidelines are legal.
Photo credit: Paul Moseley/The Star-Telegram
Other stories this morning:
- A former top investigator with the Dallas County District Attorney’s office has admitted to taking bribes in exchange for dropping criminal charges against an individual. Anthony Robinson was a 20-year veteran of the DA’s office and served as chief investigator for previous District Attorney Craig Watkins during his two terms. Robinson was dismissed when current District Attorney Susan Hawk was elected in 2015.
- Scientists recently used CAT scans to digitally rebuild the brain of a North Texas dinosaur called the Pawpawsaurus.
You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM.
