Superintendent Kent Scribner Rigs Public Comment Speakers; Stand for Fort Worth Requests Apology

Fort Worth, TX – Stand for Fort Worth is shocked and saddened to learn that Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Kent Scribner continues his pattern of secretive and potentially illegal decision making by rigging the public comment portion of the next FWISD Board meeting to prevent law-abiding citizens from speaking out against his unlawful transgender policy.  Just yesterday a local newspaper carried a headline that “Four forums will let the public comment” on the new transgender policy.  But now we know while Superintendent Scribner was traveling around town touting public forums, he was working behind the scenes to exclude parents and taxpayers from having a voice at a regularly scheduled Board meeting.  This deceptive and duplicitous behavior has irreparably breached the public’s trust.

Zeb Pent, spokesman for Stand for Fort Worth, said, “First, Superintendent Scribner unilaterally issued a transgender policy in secret without public input.  Then, Superintendent Scribner dismissed the public outcry by intentionally misrepresenting the substance of the policy at the May 10 Board meeting.  Now, Superintendent Scribner has worked secretly to take away the voice of concerned parents and taxpayers.  We simply don’t trust his leadership.  He owes this community an apology.”

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On Tuesday night, April 26, as most people were taking cover for incoming storms, Dr. Kent Scribner, Superintendent of the Fort Worth ISD, was starting a new storm at the Board of Trustees’ meeting. There he announced he had signed new transgender student guidelines to ensure that all students are protected from bullying and discrimination.  This was right after he announced that 5th and 8th grade math and reading test results were in and, “We don’t have enough students passing.”

The new transgender student guidelines were not debated, discussed or voted on at any Board meetings.  The Superintendent unilaterally issued an edict dictating serious and harmful policies affecting our community.  The guidelines are mandatory for the 2015-2016 school year unless revised or revoked.  They should be revoked immediately.

We have read the new transgender student guidelines.  In short, the eight pages are an astonishing and shocking rebuttal to common sense, history, and science.  Let’s start with this: “No medical or mental health diagnosis or treatment is required in order to have a student’s gender identity recognized and respected. School personnel must not question any student’s sincerely held belief.”

Under the section “Restrooms and Related Facilities,” boys who self-identify as girls may now use girls restrooms and “if other students feel uncomfortable sharing a restroom with a transgender student, the school must allow the student(s) access to a single stall restroom…the single user restroom, however, must not be given as the only option for transgender students.”  Thus, if a teenage boy who says he’s a girl goes into the girls bathroom and the girls feel uncomfortable, all of the girls have to line up at the single stall restroom – not the boy.  Moreover, the District now supports the participation of boys in girl athletic activities.

In the section “Student Transitions,” the implication is that parents cannot be trusted with such sensitive topics as helping their children change sexes: “Prior to notifying any parent…regarding the student’s gender identity or any potential transition process, school personnel must work closely with the student to assess the degree to which, if any, the parent…has been or will be involved in the process.”  Will be?  This is an affront to parents everywhere.  You send Johnny to school one morning only to receive Joanie at the end of the day?

The section “Creating a Supportive Environment” instructs school personnel to eliminate “arbitrary gender dividers” such as “boys and girls” and replace them with “students and scholars.”  And this gentle exhortation to teachers: “Start the day with inclusive language, and stick with it.”

It is astounding that a school district that, by its own admission, does not have enough students passing math and reading tests, would waste resources on guidelines like these and the ensuing storm they will produce.  We would prefer the Superintendent start the day by helping boys and girls learn how to read and do math, and stick with it.