Pro-LGBT Groups Demand Texas School Allow Transgender Female Student to Wear Tuxedo for Yearbook Photo
A pair of pro-LGBT organizations have demanded that a Texas school allow a transgender student born female to wear a tuxedo for her yearbook photo.
The Southern Poverty Law Center and the Human Rights Campaign have told La Feria Independent School District to allow a high school transgender student to have a photo in the yearbook wearing a tuxedo.
Alesdair Ittelson, staff attorney at the SPLC, wrote the school board on Wednesday arguing that Jeydon Loredo be allowed to have the photo published alongside her peers.
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"I write to inform you that unless you provide prompt assurances that you will allow Jeydon's tuxedo photograph to appear in the La Feria yearbook, SPLC will commence legal action to remedy the constitutional violations suffered by our client," wrote Ittelson.
"The Supreme Court of the United States holds that when a policy at a public school discriminates against a person based on their sex, the classification must serve 'important governmental objectives.' … Here, there is no important governmental objective served by refusing to allow Jeydon's tuxedo portrait in the La Feria yearbook."
The HRC has called on supporters to send a letter they drew up to the school board for La Feria regarding the incident, calling on them to change course.
"You have made clear that you don't want Jeydon's tuxedo photo to appear in the yearbook, and you have treated him differently than you would any other male student, just because he's transgender. Jeydon is an exemplary student, and should be celebrated - not punished," reads the letter in part.
"The eyes of the whole country are on you. You have the opportunity to show us that La Feria stands on the right side of history -- the side that cherishes all students."
Born female, Jeydon Loredo now self-identifies as male and earlier this year had a photo taken in a tuxedo for the school yearbook. According to Brandon Medina of South Texas News, La Feria Superintendent Rey Villarreal put a stop to the photo being put in the yearbook.
"We asked Villarreal what reasons he or his staff might have for denying a student's photo from appearing in the school's yearbook. He directed us to the 'Dress and Grooming' section of the school's student handbook," wrote Medina.
"The policy includes instructions for both male and female students. The policy is littered with reminders that 'administrative decision is final.'"
Neither the school board for La Feria ISD nor La Feria High School returned comment to The Christian Post by press time.
