CISD has a history of failing to provide CISD students with ample explanation of their student code of conduct, their rights on school premises, and of selectively enforcing their policies. With the upcoming changes being grossly unjust, we wanted to make sure our peers knew their rights and were informed about the upcoming SCOC so we can have ample time to organize, protest, and plan to attend the board meeting where it will be put to vote.
There are three major changes that appear to be specifically targeting trans and nonbinary students. You can see them directly HERE.
A policy that will prohibit the use of pronouns that are inconsistent with the students sex assigned at birth.
A Policy that will require restrooms and locker rooms by sex assigned at birth (which we know will leave already vulnerable trans and nonbinary students at even further risk of danger)
The rest of the handbook - which otherwise seems to be generally copied straight from the TASB Model Student Handbook despite the fact that our district is leaving the TASB this year - deletes all language about gender-based and sexual-orientation-based protections
Proposed language also removes specificity of examples of harassment - removing descriptions of harassment on the bases of race, sexual harassment, disability, etc.
*These cuts remove the ENTIRETY of the gender-based and sexual-orientation-based harassment section, removes language that defines and provides examples of sexual harassment, and removes language that specifies examples of discrimination on the bases of race.
The handbook also moves the statement of nondiscrimination off of the from page of the SCOC and to page 80, apparently to finalize the notion that our district will not be taking discrimination seriously.
STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION: In its efforts to promote nondiscrimination, Carroll ISD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or age in providing education services, activities, and programs, including vocational programs, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
As we know, CISD has repeatedly failed to investigate discrimination that’s reported to them. The updates to the SCOC go one step further to intimidate students - by adding language to impose disciplinary action on those that make ‘false reports.’ In a district that repeatedly refuses to fulfill its obligation to investigate discrimination, how are students meant to trust that their truthful reporting of harassment won’t end up with the reporter being punished? We firmly believe that this constitutes as the creation of a hostile environment.
We encourage everyone to show up to the upcoming board meeting on Monday, sign up to speak, and tell their stories. These changes actively infringe on students rights in schools - and it’s high time we started enforcing our own rights at school board meetings and in our classrooms.
Silencing us has never been viable. We are the future and we will not stand down when our rights are being taken from us.
It's bleak. But being part of a community means standing up and saying something to those in power - we need to show our vulnerable peers that despite the hostility our administration shows for them, they have allies on the ground and rights than they can fight to enforce.
So what can you do about it?
OUR RIGHTS AS STUDENTS
The district is legally required to provide an educational setting that is free from discrimination on the bases of race, ethnic background, national origin, (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) disability, (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) religion (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964), and sex* (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972).
The school is legally required to provide students an educational setting in which you can report discrimination without retaliation from the school.
“Recipients of federal funds are prohibited from intimidating, threatening, coercing, or discriminating against any individual for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by Title IX.” - Department of Education
If you have experienced bullying, harassment, or violence from your peers the school is required to investigate and provide redress. Action must be immediate and must be thorough and impartial. Schools must interview targeted students, witnesses, and those who engaged in the harassment and have communicated with targeted students of the steps taken to end the harassment and check in and ensure that the harassment has ended. If they fail to do so please take the step to complain to the district and notify the Office of Civil Rights of the failure to provide you with support. (If you have been bullied on the basis of a protected class, this website has more information on your rights)
CISD is currently under investigation via the Office of Civil Rights. This case would force the district to provide the services they have long neglected - require them to implement programs to support students who have been victims of discrimination and have an established pipeline in place for reporting harm and receiving redress.
If you have experienced ANY of the above, PLEASE contact us so that we can submit a report to the Office of Civil Rights and connect you to our reps at Arnold & Porter and the NAACP LDF.
We want to stop being harmed in the place that's supposed to nurture us - and its a group effort to change our community for the better.
Reach out to us via @SouthlakeARC on instagram/twitter or via our email southlakearc@gmail.com. We have our regular testimony form here as well as one in which we'll forward your info to NAACP LDF and Arnold & Porter on your behalf.
We also HIGHLY encourage you to show up to the Monday, July 24th board meeting, where these policies will be voted on. Sign up to speak and show our board members that this policy will not be received lying down by our students.
IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK YOU MUST SHOW UP BY 4:30!! PLEASE SHOW UP EARLY TO SIGN UP.
EDIT: You can also sign up ahead of time here!
In the meantime, share this post with your peers and make sure you're read up on your rights. We've created PDF shareables to print or send to your friends however you so choose.