A bill banning Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work in Texas鈥� K-12 schools is on its way to the governor鈥檚 desk.
bans DEI policies in hiring and training, bans student groups centered around gender identity and sexual orientation, and prohibits school employees from assisting transgender students with 鈥渟ocial transitioning.鈥� It also allows parents to receive a written record of books their child checks out of a school library.
The bill鈥檚 author, Republican Sen. Brandon Creighton of Conroe, also authored SB17, the 2023 law banning DEI in the state鈥檚 colleges and universities. Earlier this year one of a handful of conservative bills this session aimed at giving parents more of a say in students鈥� curriculum.
鈥淭exas parents now have a guaranteed seat at the table with our schools and their voice now have greater protections in law,鈥� he wrote on X after the bill passed the Senate.
Republican state Rep. Brad Buckley, chair of the House Public Education Committee, spoke on the House floor Saturday in support of SB 12. He said the bill is about the children.
鈥淭hey're all important, and ... they have way more in common than they have in differences,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e want to return that so that children can gather together in things that are community minded where they can share experiences together throughout their school year.鈥�
North Texas Democratic state Rep. Chris Turner opposed SB12, calling it partisan, harmful, unnecessary and divisive. He said parents in his district weren鈥檛 demanding rights SB12 was created for. And because it outlaws school organizations like the Gay Straight Alliance, he said it will hurt kids, and all with the state鈥檚 stamp of approval.
鈥淭hat same government is going to say to high school kids 鈥榶ou cannot be in a club with people like you,鈥欌�� Turner said. 鈥淭hink how wrong that is.鈥�
In a statement over the weekend the ACLU said SB12 鈥渃ensors discussions of race, gender and sexual orientation鈥� and threatens the privacy of trans and nonbinary students.
Democratic state Rep. Jon Rosenthal of Houston said the bill specifically prevents 鈥減olicies and programs that teach about the racial history, the racial relationships, the different cultures.鈥� He called it the 鈥渙ne of the worst鈥� things he鈥檚 seen in his four sessions in the legislature.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just unnecessary and hurtful,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 tragic.鈥�
The bill now awaits Gov. Greg Abbott鈥檚 signature. The law is set to go into effect Sept. 1.
Bill Zeeble is 四虎影院鈥檚 education reporter. Got a tip? Email Bill at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on X .
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