Press Release

SEAT's Civil Rights Complaint Prompts U.S. Department of Education Investigation into Katy ISD's Anti-Transgender Policy

For Immediate Release

May 7, 2024

Contact: [email protected]

Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT), a student-led movement demonstrating youth visibility in educational policymaking, is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Education officially opened an investigation on Monday into the civil rights complaint filed by SEAT regarding the comprehensive anti-transgender policy passed by the Katy Independent School District's Board of Trustees in August.

The complaint, delivered to the federal department's Office of Civil Rights in November, challenges the policy's adverse impact on transgender students, asserting violation of Title IX rights with Gender Identity discrimination and perpetuating harmful sex stereotypes and heteronormative gender roles.

The Department of Education opening an investigation marks a significant step forward in holding Katy ISD accountable for its actions and ensuring that transgender students are equally protected under federal civil rights laws. SEAT applauds the Department's response to our complaint and looks forward to cooperating fully with the investigation process.

In accordance with the policy, Katy ISD evidently outed at least 23 students to their parents and counting. This negligent enforcement raises serious concerns about privacy and well-being of trans students, who should be entitled to a safe and inclusive educational environment equal to that of cisgender peers.

"These policies hurt people. They drive students like myself away from school and make us feel unsafe. I hope at the very least, the investigation will make other districts think twice before putting their students' education and safety in jeopardy like Katy ISD did," former student Kadence Carter told the Houston Landing.

In our federal complaint, SEAT seeks a resolution that repeals Katy ISD's discriminatory policy, provides direct resources to students impacted by the district's irresponsibility, establishes professional LGBTQ+ inclusion training for district personnel, and codifies nondiscrimination protections for gender identity.

"Tides are finally turning," said Tompkins High School student Jarred Burton. "While this policy has undoubtedly put students in danger, we've risen up to become more informed, outspoken, and powerful. We will not sit idle while our school district tries to write us out of existence through policy. We deserve a seat at the table, and we’re one step closer to getting there."

Meanwhile, SEAT continues to partner with students and families across Texas to ensure stakeholders know their rights and actualize their power to dismantle inequities in education. At school board meetings and our recent statewide summit at the capitol in Austin, we have handed out hundreds of SEAT "Know Your Rights" lanyards with our Student Resource Hub.

For media inquiries or interviews with Burton or Katy ISD graduate and SEAT Executive Director Cameron Samuels, please reach out with your inquiry.

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Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT) is a movement of young people developing transferable skills and demonstrating youth visibility in policymaking. By engaging in constructive action with active engagement in hands-on opportunities of advocacy and education, we're creating a vehicle for driving civic transformation as we build a social movement for bettering our communities and dismantling oppressive power structures.