HOUSTON – The parents of a Bellaire High School student have filed a federal lawsuit against the Houston Independent School District, accusing the district of violating their constitutional rights by referring to their daughter as a boy at school without their knowledge or consent.
The lawsuit, filed June 23 in the Southern District of Texas, accuses HISD of violating the parents’ constitutional rights by supporting what they describe as the “social transitioning” of their child, referred to in court records as Jane Doe.
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The parents say HISD employees began using a masculine name and male pronouns to refer to their daughter starting in her freshman year and continued doing so into her junior year, despite explicit instructions from the parents to stop.
“This is not about politics,” the attorney representing the parents wrote in the complaint. “This is about parental rights, transparency, and the ability of a family to make decisions for their child without being undermined by the school system.”
The child’s parents claim that they first became aware of the issue when they discovered schoolwork using a male name for their daughter. After addressing the issue with school staff and reiterating their request to use female pronouns and their daughter’s given name, they say the practice continued into the next academic year, prompting further concern.
The lawsuit names the district as well as HISD Superintendent Mike Miles, Bellaire High School Principal Michael Niggli, and school counselor Sarah Ray. The parents allege that HISD staff, following a district-wide policy or practice, treated their daughter as the opposite sex without notifying them or seeking their consent.
The lawsuit outlines a series of escalating efforts by the parents to get the district to stop. They say they contacted teachers directly, met with the principal, emailed school counselors, and even submitted a formal letter through an attorney to HISD leadership.
One teacher allegedly refused to comply during an in-person meeting, prompting the child’s parents to consider legal action. Another teacher referred to Jane only as “the student” in official school reports. Others used the pronoun “they” to avoid using either “she” or “he.”
The family argues this alleged policy violates their Fourteenth Amendment rights as parents and First Amendment rights to freely exercise their religious beliefs. They are seeking court intervention to halt the district’s actions and to obtain documents related to HISD’s approach to student gender identity and parental notification.
Jane Doe is currently enrolled to return to Bellaire High School for her senior year in the 2025–26 school term.
This lawsuit follows earlier scrutiny of Bellaire High School. In February, Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Education Agency to review the campus after complaints raised by the conservative group Moms for Liberty.
In a statement Wednesday, a district spokesperson said, “Given there is pending litigation, at this time, the District is unable to discuss any aspect of this incident.”
Editor’s note: KPRC 2 is not naming the parents involved in this lawsuit.
