DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas — A Central Texas school district could be making changes to its discrimination policy, and some parents are not happy about it.
On Monday, Dripping Springs Independent School District (DSISD) held a school board meeting, where more than 40 attendees showed up to discuss the proposed changes.
Although the discussion topic had been removed from the planned meeting, parents still showed up to express their concerns.
DSISD is considering three proposed changes to its "Freedom from Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation" policy.
First, the district is looking to remove the words "sexual orientation and gender identity" from its Statement of Nondiscrimination.
The school is also planning to erase the detailed definition on the basis of sex from this same statement, which currently says: "Discrimination on the basis of sex includes discrimination on the basis of biological sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, gender stereotype, or any other prohibited basis related to sex."
If this statement were to be removed, the policy would still remain in place to protect students in relation to "race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, disability or any other basis prohibited by law."
DSISD had also planned to withdraw "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" from the policy's definition of harassment.
In response to these possible updates, some attendees spoke at the podium during Monday night's meeting.
"Our first reaction to the removal of a protection for any of our kids should be, 'No,'" one attendee said.
Another shared a sentiment from their child: "He said, and I quote, 'I don't want the policy to change because every kid should have the right to be exactly who they are. We are better together.'"
The next agenda review meeting is set for May 13 and an upcoming board meeting is scheduled for May 20. DSISD allows the public to attend and comment during these discussions.