LGBTQ issues and private school

[adjusterjack]

I have to ensure the school stays financially solvent and I do that by not offending the parents of students who pay (vs scholarship/financial aid) full tuition.

That school must be a real cash cow.

we are 92% Caucasian, 3% Hispanic, 3% African American, and 2% Asian.

As of 2020 the US population was 58% white, 19% Hispanic, 12% African-American, and 6% Asian. I would hardly call your figures a good mix.

We have a good mix of religious beliefs as well.

How many Jewish students?

I also don’t want our school to suffer if other parents withdraw their kids and we lose funding

So the parents of the other kids are also bigots.

this child was awarded a small amount of need based financial ad, as the mother is a single parent. Next year, the child would have gotten an entire scholarship for academic excellence, except for the excessive absences.

Here's a word you don't see any more: Tokenism. Surprised the child got in the door without being a member of the country club set.

 

[stealth2]

How many Jewish students?

Muslims? Buddhists? Atheists? Others? Are you a faith-based school?

Your racial profile is definitely skewed.

 

[stealth2]

As of 2020 the US population was 58% white, 19% Hispanic, 12% African-American, and 6% Asian.

Just to add TX-specific demographics... (and I will admit Wiki is not always the best source)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_TexIn 2021, 40.2% of the population was Hispanic and Latino American of any race, 39.3% non-Hispanic white, 11.6% Black or African American, 1.5% American Indian or Alaska Native, 5.1% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 0.4% some other race, and 3.1% two or more races.[20] At the 2020 census, the racial and ethnic composition of the state was 42.5% white (39.7% non-Hispanic white), 11.8% Black or African American, 5.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 13.6% some other race, 17.6% two or more races, and 39.3% Hispanic and Latin American of any race.[21][22] Inas

In 2021, 40.2% of the population was Hispanic and Latino American of any race, 39.3% non-Hispanic white, 11.6% Black or African American, 1.5% American Indian or Alaska Native, 5.1% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 0.4% some other race, and 3.1% two or more races.[20] At the 2020 census, the racial and ethnic composition of the state was 42.5% white (39.7% non-Hispanic white), 11.8% Black or African American, 5.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 13.6% some other race, 17.6% two or more races, and 39.3% Hispanic and Latin American of any race.[21][22]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Texas#cite_note-22

 

[quincy]

From the Texas Association of School Boards, on the legal rights of transgender students (as updated January 2023):

https://www.tasb.org/services/legal-services/tasb-school-law-esource/students/documents/legal_issues_related_to_transgender_students.pdf

Your school needs to consult with an attorney in Texas well-versed in the rights of transgender students, preferably before legal action is taken against the school by the parents of the child.

 

[stealth2]

From the Texas Association of School Boards, on the legal rights of transgender students (as updated January 2023):

https://www.tasb.org/services/legal-services/tasb-school-law-esource/students/documents/legal_issues_related_to_transgender_students.pdf

Your school needs to consult with an attorney in Texas well-versed in the rights of transgender students, preferably before legal action is taken against the school by the parents of the child.

TY, q, for providing those links. I know I tend to have a knee-jerk reaction on these issues.

 

[PrivateSchoolRocks]

From the Texas Association of School Boards, on the legal rights of transgender students (as updated January 2023):

https://www.tasb.org/services/legal-services/tasb-school-law-esource/students/documents/legal_issues_related_to_transgender_students.pdf

Your school needs to consult with an attorney in Texas well-versed in the rights of transgender students, preferably before legal action is taken against the school by the parents of the child.

thank you for this. As Governor Abbott made seeking gender affirming care illegal here, we were unaware that transgender students have any specific rights … outside of Title IX, and since we are a private school, we thought Title IX wouldn’t apply to us.

we are not a religious oriented school,unlike most private schools. That’s because we are a learning difference school. Our religious make up is roughly 86% Christian, 5% catholic, 2% Muslim, 2% Jewish, and 1% atheist.

We are excellent at what we do - providing education to those with learning differences. And we will consider all you have said in regards to this child.

 

[stealth2]

Our religious make up is roughly 86% Christian, 5%< C>atholic (fixed that for you)

Aaargh, this distinction should not be made. Catholics ARE Christian. Among the "original" Christians, along with Orthodox Christians.

 

[stealth2]

And we will consider all you have said in regards to this child.

I hope a lawyer is consulted and their legal opinion is considered. Because, frankly, you dig a deeper hole with every post.

 

[quincy]

thank you for this. As Governor Abbott made seeking gender affirming care illegal here, we were unaware that transgender students have any specific rights … outside of Title IX, and since we are a private school, we thought Title IX wouldn’t apply to us.

we are not a religious oriented school,unlike most private schools. That’s because we are a learning difference school. Our religious make up is roughly 86% Christian, 5% catholic, 2% Muslim, 2% Jewish, and 1% atheist.

We are excellent at what we do - providing education to those with learning differences. And we will consider all you have said in regards to this child.

Transgender children have the same human rights as anyone, regardless of whether the school is a private school or a public school. I think that might be where you are getting confused.

Your school apparently has encouraged a climate of hate by not adequately addressing the harassment and bullying. This is what can get your school sued.

 

[Taxing Matters]

The parents may very well have a case. Because you are allowing harm to this child by excusing the bigots -- most likely because you are one yourself. You quite frankly are allowing this child to be bullied and looking the other way because you don't care.

It depends on the details of the bullying the student is receiving and what efforts the school has made to address it. Talking to a lawyer about that would be a good idea; the sooner the better.

 

[Taxing Matters]

Transgender children have the same human rights as anyone, regardless of whether the school is a private school or a public school. I think that might be where you are getting confused.

Well, that depends on what you are going to include on your list of human rights though, doesn't it? There is no one universally accepted definition of that term.

Your school apparently has encouraged a climate of hate by not adequately addressing the harassment and bullying. This is what can get your school sued.

But I agree that a school owes all students a safe environment. I don't see this so much a LBGTBQA+ issue so much as a simply an issue of protecting every student from bullying by other students. Part of what schools are supposed to teach kids is that bullying is wrong and there are consequences for it.

 

[PrivateSchoolRocks]

It depends on the details of the bullying the student is receiving and what efforts the school has made to address it. Talking to a lawyer about that would be a good idea; the sooner the better.

Thank you.

I think there is little they have proof of. The child was on an antidepressant prior to starting at our school. So how will they prove that bullying at our school made the child too depressed to attend school?

they are in clear violation of our attendance policy.

 

[LdiJ]

Thank you.

I think there is little they have proof of. The child was on an antidepressant prior to starting at our school. So how will they prove that bullying at our school made the child too depressed to attend school?

they are in clear violation of our attendance policy.

I think that you are missing the point entirely. I find that to be quite sad.

 

[Taxing Matters]

they are in clear violation of our attendance policy.

Which would allow you to expel that student from your school if that's what you'd do for any other student with the same attendance problem. The school needs to be consistent on this. If the school would have promptly expelled other students for this, then it should do that here as well. However, that won't protect the school from any provable harm from the bullying that the school was in a position to fix while the student was there. Again, it'd be a very good idea for the school to see an attorney to make sure they get this right.

 

[PrivateSchoolRocks]

I think that you are missing the point entirely. I find that to be quite sad.

Perhaps I am. But I don’t understand why, if the child is so miserable at our school, they would want to stay. Since they don’t seem inclined to leave voluntarily, we’re just trying to give them an opportunity to leave.