Darryl George, 18, has not been in his regular classroom in Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu since Aug. 31. Instead, he has either been serving in-school suspension or spending time in an off-site disciplinary program.
This appears the be the first time a school has been penalized over the 2021 “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” touted by Gov. Ron DeSantis that bans transgender women and girls from competing in women’s and girls’ sports.
Some schools have partnered with companies to implement the use of pouches that students are required to put their phones into at the beginning of the day and that don’t unlock until the final bell rings, while others are threatening punishments including suspension if a student is caught with their phone, even at lunch time.
"The toll of the book banning movement is getting worse," Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer of PEN America said in a statement. "...opponents of free expression are pushing harder than ever to exert their power over students as a whole."
Texas is one of 17 states that allow corporal punishment—which includes hitting, spanking, paddling or deliberately inflicting pain to discipline students in public schools.
"The volume and pace of these proposals represents a startling uptick in this ideological attack on public education," reads a new report from PEN America.
The keyword as students head back to school in Alaska's Mat-Su Borough School District is "STAR." Actually, it's an acronym—but not one of the really dull ones.
