Texas parents’ rights cannot be routed around by a school toolkit
Rep. Jeff Leach says a Trans Texas school guide offers ways around SB 12; he wants Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate its distribution and possible lawbreaking.
On Oct. 14, Leach wrote on X that he had formally asked Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate organizations and individuals “engaged in encouraging, instructing, or assisting Texans in circumventing, evading, or violating” SB 12, the Texas Parents Bill of Rights. Texans in circumventing, evading, or violating the requirements of SB 12,” the Texas Parents Bill of Rights. Texans in circumventing, evading, or violating the requirements of SB 12,” the Texas Parents Bill of Rights.
Leach wrote: “Of particular concern is information distributed in recent days as a ‘Back to School Toolkit’ by an organization branding itself as ‘Trans Texas’, containing guidance on not only navigating but circumventing and violating the directives of the bill.” The toolkit identifies itself as a resource for students, school employees and families and lists an August 2026 update. His rule for the whole matter: “The laws enacted by the Texas Legislature are not optional, and no advocacy organization has a special exemption from complying with them.”1
“The laws enacted by the Texas Legislature are not optional, and no advocacy organization has a special exemption from complying with them.”
The guide offers workarounds inside schools
The Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) published the guide. The toolkit tells students to challenge school decisions rejecting Gender and Sexuality Alliance clubs through district grievance procedures. The Dallas Express reports that the toolkit suggests joining or creating a club around a shared hobby if a school refuses to allow a GSA or similar club. Its prompt to students: “Do you and your friends have a shared hobby? Is there already an art club at your school?”2
That restriction leaves districts and open-enrollment charter schools unable to authorize or sponsor student clubs based on sexual orientation or gender identity. So what is a hobby club for, when the school has just refused the club the toolkit wanted? The Dallas Express reports that the guide encourages students to find supportive school employees and organize off campus.
The guide puts staff between children and parents
TENT states its objection to SB 12 in its own words. The toolkit faults the law for “granting parents and guardians near-total control over their student(s)’ experience in school.”3 An organization that lists parental authority as the harm has told parents which side it is on.
The law requires districts to prohibit employees from assisting students with “social transitioning,” including providing information or guidelines intended to help them. It defines the term to include adopting a different name, pronouns or other expressions that deny or encourage denial of a person’s biological sex at birth. For educators, the toolkit links to an ACLU of Texas fact sheet arguing that SB 12 does not bar employees from using students’ requested names and pronouns, particularly when parents request it2. That is the ACLU’s legal interpretation. When a teacher has to choose between the Legislature's definition and an advocacy group's reading, who is answering to the parents?
The injunction covers only three districts
TENT's best answer is a federal court order, and the toolkit leans on it. On Feb. 20, 2026, U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge issued a preliminary injunction blocking Houston, Katy and Plano ISDs from enforcing four challenged provisions2. TENT's own toolkit concedes the limit: “the preliminary injunction only applies to three specific school districts.”3 The toolkit adds that the judge reminded every Texas district to follow federal law where it conflicts with state law, and a reminder is not an injunction.
The order applies to those three districts rather than statewide2.
Paxton should examine the toolkit’s distribution
Leach said he and many of his constituents received “an unsolicited text linking to the toolkit over the weekend,” and that he understood texts and emails promoting the guide had reached thousands of Texans.
Leach has put the request in writing. The next move belongs to the attorney general. Paxton should open the file and answer three questions with a yes or no. Were the names and phone numbers on the mass text list obtained lawfully? Will the attorney general tell Texas parents what he finds?
Sources
- @leachfortexas on X, 2026-10-14: Tonight I sent a formal request to Attorney General Paxton to open an investigation in to organizations and individuals engaged in encouraging, instructing, or assisting Texans in circumventing, evading, or violating the requirements of SB 12, the Texas Par, 2026-10-14
- ‘Trans’ School Toolkit Sparks Call For Paxton Probe Over Alleged Parental Rights Law Evasion | KLIF 570 News & Info | KLIF-AM
- Back to School Toolkit Digital
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