Frisco ISD is facing several open federal civil rights investigations over complaints of alleged discrimination based on disability, sex, race and age.
As previously reported by Local Profile, following a controversial book-reviewing and banning process, in November 2022, the Collin County school district’s board members voted to approve a bathroom policy forcing students to use bathrooms and other facilities according to the gender they were assigned at birth. The new policy prompted the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to file a formal complaint against FISD citing that it would harm LGBTQ+ children.
Earlier this year, a transgender student came forward with a complaint against Marvin Lowe, an FISD board member, alleging he felt “dehumanized, violated and unsafe” after he spoke on a panel last September at a state educational conference titled “Transgender Students in Texas Schools: What You Need to Know.” Lowe allegedly approached the teen and began talking about what he described as the locker room environment.
While the Office of Civil Rights report (OCR) shows two sex discrimination complaints alleging sexual harassment and another alleging sexual violence, it is unclear if the complaint against Lowe is included in any of the open investigations.
Dallas Observer reports that Pride Frisco, a nonprofit organization aimed at supporting LGBTQ+ communities in Frisco and North Texas, sent out a press release stating the district had 13 open investigations. A district’s spokesperson, however, corrected this claim, saying there are only seven open cases.
"The OCR website lists an investigation under each statute that applies to the allegation. As a result, two of the investigations are listed three times each and two are listed two times each. However, there are only seven open investigations," the spokesperson told the Dallas Observer.
Local Profile reached out to FISD for comment but has not received a response prior to publication.
