HOUSTON, Texas — A Houston couple has filed a federal lawsuit against the Houston Independent School District (HISD), alleging that school officials at Bellaire High School repeatedly ignored their instructions regarding their child’s gender identity.
The parents claim that despite reaching an agreement with school administrators to refer to their daughter by her female name and pronouns, staff continued using male identifiers over a two-year period, beginning in her freshman year.
The lawsuit names more than six employees allegedly involved in the repeated use of male pronouns and names.
Filed in federal court, the suit argues that HISD violated the parents’ constitutional rights to direct the upbringing of their child. It seeks injunctive relief to prevent further incidents and to compel the district to follow parental directives in similar cases moving forward.
HISD has not commented publicly, citing the pending litigation.
The lawsuit has already attracted attention from both parental rights advocates and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, highlighting the complex intersection of education policy, constitutional rights, and gender identity in public schools.