FRISCO, Texas — Board members for the Frisco Independent School District on Monday voted 7-0 to approve a policy that would make students use bathrooms and changing rooms throughout the district according to the gender they were assigned at birth.
However, the policy explicitly states that it would not prohibit the district from making accommodations for students or parents upon request.
Per a district spokesperson, the policy aligns with the district's current practices.
More on those practices can be found here.
Weeks ago, however, the policy was brought forward by two recently elected board members, Stephanie Elad and Marvin Lowe.
Both stated Monday night that they crafted the policy by looking at Grapevine-Colleyville ISD's stance on the same subject.
That district has been entrenched in right-leaning political battles over the last year regarding education due to newly elected board members backed and funded by a GOP-aligned political action committee.
Parents and community members spoke for and against the policy during public comment.
Some echoed similar comments saying, "God created only two sexes at birth."
But advocates for the transgender community outweighed those who favor the policy.
That included students, parents and transgender activists from the Dallas area.
Mitchell Tillison has a transgender daughter in a Frisco ISD middle school who currently uses a gender-neutral bathroom.
However, Tillison is concerned that his daughter's wishes will change and that the new policy will corner her and him regarding their options.
"We are taking away and stripping the ability for the school to weigh in with the individual needs of kids fully," Tillison said. "Every situation is different. My child may not want to use a gender-neutral restroom down the line. I would want to have the option to figure out the next steps, and that's going to be harder with a policy like this."
The board also approved new library book policies in connection to books that are being reviewed or challenged due to their content districtwide.
They are below.
