Hutto ISD in hot seat over trans-athlete video Watchdog group claims Texas schools lie, leading to Paxton investigation
HUTTO — The Hutto Independent School District is under investigation by the state Attorney General’s Office after a video surfaced showing a school employee noting there are “loopholes” to circumvent state law regarding transgender athletes.
District officials said they are complying with Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request for documents and more information, adding the district employee has since stepped down.
A 2021 state law mandates that school athletes take part in sports based on their sex assigned at birth.
“Hutto ISD is committed to upholding Texas laws and (University Interscholastic League) guidelines, ensuring full compliance with all established policies governing student-athletes,” said district spokesman James Gazzele.
On Feb. 7, state Assistant Attorney General Steve Ogle sent a letter to Hutto ISD questioning “Hutto ISD policies regarding transgender youth in interscholastic athletics.”
The letter goes on to state, “While we understand (the employee) has resigned, our office remains concerned that her advice may reflect an unstated policy of Hutto ISD to not uphold the rule of law.”
The missive then requests the school district provide six different documents, including a copy of the employee’s resignation letter.
Other requested documents pertain to information such as district policies, training materials and internal communications, particularly regarding students’ participation in sports based on sex, and the creation of a diversity, equity and inclusion director position, a job description and a source of funding.
Paxton has also targeted other school districts including Dallas, Richardson and Irving, officials said.
“The woke school officials endangering female athletes and trying to undermine girls’ athletics by letting boys compete should know that there will be consequences for all unlawful activity,” Paxton said in a prepared release. “If they are, I can fully assure you that those liable will face justice.”
According to the attorney general’s release, the Hutto employee “advised parents about ‘workarounds’ to allow a male student to participate in girls’ sports by changing the sex of his birth certificate.”
The local case stems from efforts in recent weeks by the watchdog media group, Accuracy in Media, to send undercover investigators into Texas schools, leading to a claim on their social-media site that “Texas Schools Lie.”
The AIM investigators, pretending to be parents of transgender students, visit educators and question how their child can get around Texas House Bill 25, also known as Save Women’s Sports Act, to participate in girls’ sports.
AIM paid a visit to Hutto ISD, which prompted the Paxton probe. The video was posted online.
A female member of AIM met the Hutto ISD employee, who was unaware she was being filmed. Texas is currently a “one-party consent state,” which means it is legal to record a conversation as long as one party is aware of it. According to the tape by AIM: The AIM investigator told the employee her child was transgender, and said they were seeking a school that would be kind and inclusive. The investigator posing as a parent then said the student played soccer and wanted to know which soccer team her child could join.
The employee responded the student would participate in the sport that correlated to the sex on the student’s birth certificate. The investigator mentioned to the employee how the state of New Jersey handled these circumstances, suggesting an already altered birth certificate denoting the student’s changed sex.
The employee then agreed this was an option that did not go against Texas law since the change occurred in another state. The conversation ended with the Hutto ISD employee stating, “There are always loopholes, but you didn’t hear it from me.”
AIM president Adam Guillette told the Press he believes it’s important to hold school administrators accountable.
Over the years, he maintains AIM has exposed more than a dozen Texas school districts ignoring laws to promote their own agenda.
“Our investigator was shocked,” Guillette said, “that (the employee) seemed so familiar with the ‘birth-certificate trick.’ Since so many administrators are familiar with this trick, it’s possible that they’ve been coached on it.”
Hutto officials denied his claim.
Gazzele said the views expressed in the video by the former Hutto ISD employee do not reflect the policies or positions of the district.
“No individual is authorized to speak on behalf of Hutto ISD, and any statements made should not be considered an official representation of district policies,” Gazzele said.
In Texas, the UIL governs athletics, and only the district’s athletic director, the District Executive Committee and UIL have the authority to determine an athlete’s eligibility.
“Hutto ISD follows a strict, well-defined process to ensure compliance with these regulations,” the spokesman said.
