A Texas House panel debated a bill Tuesday proposing to ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in hiring and training within public schools, similar to legislation the Legislature passed in 2023 for higher education.
Senate Bill 12, dubbed a “parental rights bill,” also seeks to tighten parental notification requirements regarding issues like changes to a child’s mental or physical health, criminal offenses, uncertified teacher assignments, or sex education.
The effort to limit DEI in public schools mirrors a similar push in 2023 to ban DEI in public universities and colleges in Texas. That 2023 law, SB 17, reshaped equity-based student support practices in higher education, led to university staff layoffs and dismantled offices meant to help minority students. The Trump administration is also seeking to strip DEI from the federal government, including in education.
During the House Committee on Public Educating hearing on the bill, Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, said that SB 12, passed by the Senate in March, aims to provide parents greater oversight of their children’s education. Leach is sponsoring the bill by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, in the House.
“I am concerned when it comes to our history and being inclusive in that history,” said Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin.
When Hinojosa asked if a school lesson about Harvey Milk — the first openly gay man elected to public office in California — would violate the bill, Leach told her no.
Hinojosa also noted that when lawmakers talk about banning DEI, they need to be clear about exactly what that means for teachers.
“They need to have a specific understanding of what is prohibited in their jobs,” Hinojosa said.
Rep. John Bryant, a Dallas Democrat, pushed back on the fact that the bill would prohibit districts from specifically seeking minority teachers for schools that serve primarily minority students.
“Don’t you agree that some considerations should be given to trying to have a faculty in school that looks a little bit like the student population there?” Bryant asked.
Leach instead maintained that schools should be conducting their hiring practices based on merit and qualifications alone.
“This is about performance and achievement and instruction, and very strongly stands against and prohibits discriminatory practices,” Leach said.
The House version of SB 12 cut out a limit on district-sponsored student clubs that are “based on sexual orientation or gender identity,” Leach said Tuesday.
While education advocates said this was a good move, they still fear the bill might limit minority and LGBTQ+ students’ access to information and resources about their communities.
Ash Hall, policy and advocacy strategist on LGBTQIA+ rights at ACLU of Texas, said the bill would mandate that educators disclose personal information about a student’s identity, even without the student’s consent. Hall said SB 12 could also lead to classroom censorship.
“This bill creates red tape and compliance burdens that distract schools from teaching and learning,” Hall said during a news conference Tuesday. “It is not about improving education. It is about controlling it.”
During the news conference, Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, called the bill a further attack on minority and LGBTQ+ students and said Texas should be celebrating diversity.
“If passed, this bill would undermine educators by giving parents complete control over their students’ education and strip students of their personal autonomy and privacy, force school staff to out their students to their parents, limit educators’ ability to tailor their lessons due to vague language, (and) effectively ban district staff and contractors from carrying out DEI duties,” Reynolds said.
The committee left the bill pending Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: DEI in public education: Texas House committee considers ban in K-12 schools
Reporting by Keri Heath, Austin American-Statesman / Austin American-Statesman
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