Keller ISD postpones vote on LGBT discrimination policy addition

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The Keller ISD school board on Thursday delayed its planned vote on whether to expand its student handbook to include protections for sexual orientation.

The board was set to vote Thursday night on a policy that would protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students from discrimination and harassment.

But the proposal turned increasingly controversial in recent weeks.

The issue came up last year when a student’s “promposal” plans were shot down by school administrators because her date was another girl.

“Why is it OK to discriminate against LGBT but not against a certain race or gender," Casey Akers asked at the time. Akers and a friend asked the school board for a change.

Akers said she, along with educators and others from the community, were invited this summer to contribute to the school board efforts to revise the discrimination policy.

"By adding this we are doing more than just doing what the law says we're making it better and safer community for everyone who attends the Keller school district."

Kristi Lisenbee has a son in middle school and two daughters who graduated from Keller ISD and is one of growing number of people opposed to any changes.

“Keller is a very family-oriented, very traditional town,” Lisenbee said. “I'm telling you the school district is not the same as when I made the decision 20-years-ago to move here.”

The district’s superintendent said in a statement the situation had become so polarizing it had created a sense of winners and losers. So the agenda item was pulled and the vote postponed.

“If policy language changes are determined to be needed,” Dr. Randy Reid wrote, “they will be brought forth for the Board's consideration.”