East Houston News

Controversy has ignited in Kirbyville following reports of a potential gender transition involving an elementary school teacher, drawing intense attention from the community. The superintendent of Kirbyville Consolidated Independent School District (KCISD) declined to respond to a teacher's reported gender transition, KJAS reported.

"The district is legally prevented from discussing a district employee’s personal lives of students or staff," the report stated.

Local residents voiced their opinions at a Kirbyville School Board Meeting in response to an anonymous Aug. 7 Facebook post asserting an elementary school teacher's gender transition from female to male, with the teacher's husband transitioning from male to female. The post also stated that the couple had legal representation and school support, prompting varied reactions from the community, including calls for the teacher's removal and threats of withdrawing students from the district. The post's instructions for district employees and students to now refer to the teacher as "Mister" instead of "Misses" further heightened the community's response.

The KCISD Superintendent's Office received numerous calls and requests to address the forthcoming school board meeting, in line with the Open Meetings Act and Texas Public Comment Law, granting the public the opportunity for brief statements at such gatherings. The Kirbyville Board Policy Manual, accessible on the district website, stipulates that the board must allow public commentary, regardless of the agenda topic posted with prior notice, with a time limit of up to five minutes. However, the board retains the authority to establish reasonable regulations for the public's engagement with the board.

During the meeting, three individuals addressed the board with varying viewpoints. One individual criticized the perceived influence of legal threats on pushing certain agendas in Kirbyville and expressed his belief that the school should not endorse such matters, considering it a disgrace to the community.

Neither the school board nor the superintendent offered responses to the public comments, as they were not scheduled agenda items, and legal restrictions prohibit discussing personal matters of district employees or students. Following the public remarks, the board proceeded with the rest of the meeting's agenda.