Gov. Abbott orders TEA probe of Houston school for calling a student by chosen name and pronouns

Gov. Greg Abbott said he demanded that the state’s education agency investigate a Houston high school whose teachers were accused by a local conservative activist of “transitioning” a student they were calling by the student’s chosen name and pronouns.

In a social media post Saturday, Abbott also called for lawmakers to prohibit the practice at all schools.

“No parent should have to endure this,” Abbott said. “No school should be involved in ‘transitioning’ a child. If this is not already illegal, it will be after this session. I have instructed TEA to investigate this matter.”

Denise Bell, who leads the Moms for Liberty chapter in Harris County, spoke at a school board meeting on behalf of a parent she did not name. The group advocates against school curricula and teachings that include LGBTQ rights.

The mother’s child is a junior at Houston ISD’s Bellaire High School, according to the testimony Bell read. On the first day of freshman year, the student took home an information sheet that asked for students’ pronouns.

“Multiple teachers started calling her by a different name and pronouns. One teacher even went as far as to cross out my daughter's legal name that she had written on her paper and write her chosen name in red ink,” the woman said in the statement read by Bell. “This occurred without our knowledge and certainly without our consent.”

She added: “This goes against our Christian faith, the advice of her therapist, and quite frankly common sense. We met with her teachers, counselors, and the principal to no avail. HISD is purposely and secretively transitioning” minors.

Spokespeople for Houston ISD, which is under state control, did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment. Neither did the Texas Education Agency, whose spokespeople told the Houston Chronicle it was “reviewing the matter.”

Moms for Liberty shared on social media a minute-long clip of Bell’s comments, which Abbott reposted — and said it served as “another reason why parents deserve school choice.”

Abbott has said he’s confident the Legislature will pass a school vouchers package — often referred to as school choice — during the current legislative session after multiple failed attempts during the last regular session and four subsequent special sessions in 2023.