The Arc of the Moral Universe, Bending Toward Justice

The Mansfield Equality Coalition presented four speakers at the Mansfield ISD called school board meeting on Monday 2/24, after which the board considered and accepted a legal settlement that calls for non-discrimination policy change and mandatory LGBTQ-inclusion training for many district employees. Our work to ensure that LGBTQ staff and students are protected will continue. For now, be inspired by these articulate, courageous justice advocates who waited through almost 4 hours of closed session to offer these public comments.

ELEANOR GARRETT-GRIMSLEY

I am speaking regarding tonight’s agenda item 7.1. One of the definitions of settlement is “a resolution of conflict”. I must say there is nothing better than a feeling of resolution. Regardless of what side you sit on, resolution evokes feelings of relief and release. I have professional experience with due process, and there is palpable sigh of relief taken once mediation has occurred. It’s time to move forward. As Howard Schultz would say, it’s time to look onward. 

I look forward to seeing what “onward” looks like for MISD after this lawsuit. My hope is that it includes fairness for all parties with regards to the settlement. Additionally, my hope now the lawsuit has been settled, is that MISD will begin earnest consideration of adding “sexual orientation, gender expression, and gender identity” to current discrimination and harassment policies. The lawsuit appears to have been a major roadblock in considering this previously, so I hope that the board policy committee may consider that the time is now to look onward. Thank you.

DAVID GROGAN

I reside and teach in Arlington.  But, my church life and many of my closest friends’ lives are centered around Mansfield.  Many of my students at UT Arlington are graduates of MISD. I teach many students who become teachers in public schools, including Mansfield ISD.  My field is vocal music, and I have close friends who teach choral music in MISD.  I am very proud of the work that they do, as I know you are as well. 

I consider myself a friend of MISD, because of my connection with the students and faculty here.  I consider myself a friend of MISD because so much of my life is centered around Mansfield.  I consider myself a friend of MISD because we are in such close proximity, and Texans are kind to their neighbors.  It’s what my parents taught me.  

As friends, we share joy in success, and tears in failure.  We support each other, and help each other find their way.  As your friend, I want to point out something wonderful I’ve noticed.  When you have something good happen (like the 20 high school students who made All-State Choir, Orchestra, and Band just a few weeks ago in San Antonio), you do an outstanding job of encouraging and uplifting the students and faculty involved.  This is, to me, a very important aspect of a school board.  Students, faculty, and staff deserve recognition, and your board meetings do this as well as any I have ever seen.  You are to be commended for this.  AND—when things are not going well, you don’t seem to notice.  When there are clear trends across the nation, such as bullying, homelessness, and suicide rates of LGBTQ+ people, you choose to believe that these trends don’t apply to MISD, despite evidence that they do.  When parents have come to testify to you that their children were treated wrongly in MISD because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, you were seemingly shocked to hear this, despite having heard from educators, licensed counselors, and ministers who had already told you this was a problem.

The notion of MISD exceptionalism is strong with this board.  The danger of exceptionalism is that when there are actual problems, you won’t see them and act on them until it is too late.  It’s almost as if admitting there might be a problem will somehow make it worse, rather than allowing for improvements.  Let me restate, MISD is right to be proud in many areas.  I just worry that you are ignoring issues in order to keep the public message all positive, all the time.  That is a recipe for disaster in the long term.  Just as teachers have to be honest with their students when they are under-performing, a school board has to be honest with itself when there are systemic issues…issues which only they can effectively address.

I want to remind you of your pledge that you made to the Mansfield Equality Coalition to address the issue of adding 6 words to the policies that govern discrimination, harassment, and bullying for faculty, staff, and students.  Your pledge was that you would consider this in earnest once the lawsuit-which-shall-not-be-named was settled.  The six words (and two commas) are Sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.  Adding these words won’t hurt any other group in regard to discrimination, harassment, or bullying, but it will help protect a segment of your population who do not have the same protections on a national level.  My hope is that Mansfield ISD will choose to be ahead of the curve on this.  These kinds of protections are going to happen, and they are going to happen everywhere, eventually.  Don’t be last.  Don’t be dragged across the finish line via a court case.  Do the right thing, and do it now.  Be a leader and an example for other school districts to follow. Add sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression to your policies on discrimination, harassment, and bullying for faculty, students, and staff of the Mansfield Independent School District. Thank you.

NATHAN SHORES

My name is Nathan Shores, my pronouns are she/her/hers, and I am the communications officer at Galileo Christian Church in Kennedale.  I am also a member of the Mansfield Equality Coalition, and we have been advocating since 2018 for the addition of gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation to MISD’s anti-discrimination policies. The School Board has consistently stated that they could not make such a change until the lawsuit was over. I want to urge the board to approve the proposed settlement in the ongoing litigation so that we can move forward with these policy changes. The LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty of MISD deserve to be protected from those who would bully them for who they are. By approving the settlement, the school board would be removing a hurdle from protecting some of MISD’s most vulnerable people. So members of the board, please vote to approve the settlement. Thank you.

LYDIA PAPE

Good evening, members of the board. Thank you for calling this meeting. My name is Lydia Pape, my pronouns are she, her, and hers, I am a former student in MISD, and I am speaking on behalf of the Mansfield Equality Coalition. As you know, all we want is justice for your LGBTQ+ students. After two years of asking for it, over and over, I have to say I’m not sure if you care about those students. I am hoping you will enact that justice soon, but considering how long it’s taken just to get to this point I have to say I’m skeptical. About how much you care, about how well the system in place works in the favor of change, about how much it matters that we care. This whole Mansfield Equality Coalition thing is my first real experience with actively trying to enact justice in my community, and at this point I’m just holding out hope that it works eventually. At all. I want to believe it does. I want to believe I can actually change the world, even a little bit. I want to know that the pursuit of justice isn’t a lost cause.

And I’ll be honest, I’m tired of this. I’m tired of coming here, and I know y’all are tired of seeing us. You have said there will be no policy change until this law suit is settled. So, settle it. And then do what several of you have said you would: add “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” and “gender expression” to your anti-discrimination and anti-bullying policies. I so want to believe that promise is real. I know the policy change isn’t about to happen tonight. But now we—well, you are in a position to actually move forward with justice, on your terms. I have a feeling that if you don’t set this in motion now, it’s not going to happen. Please make it happen. If nothing else, this is your chance to get rid of us.