Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Monday he is taking legal action against Dallas ISD to ensure the district is not "permitting boys to play in girls’ sports" in violation of state law.
Paxton announced he has filed a legal petition to depose Dallas Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde, LGBT Youth Program Coordinator Mahoganie Gaston, and members of the school board.
In February, his office demanded documents from the district after secretly recorded video by conservative activist group Accuracy in Media reportedly showed a Dallas ISD employee telling a presumed parent of a trans child that the student might still be able to participate in sports if the parent changed the student’s birth certificate.
Paxton in a statement said that’s illegal and “school districts must follow the law.” In 2021 Texas passed a law requiring student athletes to play on sports teams that correspond to the sex listed on their birth certificate.
The district also confirmed the deposition request in a statement to KERA.
“We are cooperating with the Attorney General’s office to provide information that confirms Dallas ISD’s ongoing compliance with federal and state laws,” the statement read. “The district is committed to continue following both the spirit and intent of the law.”
Bill Zeeble is KERA’s education reporter. Got a tip? Email Bill at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on X @bzeeble.
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