Governor Abbott Directs TEA To Investigate Social Transitioning Incident

TEXAS, March 13 - March 13, 2025 | Austin, Texas | Press Release

Governor Greg Abbott today sent a letter to Representative Steve Toth to thank him for highlighting unethical actions by educators to "socially transition" a student at Bellaire High School and to notify him that he directed the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to investigate the incident. 
 
"Parental rights are not stripped once a child enters a classroom," reads the letter. "Schools certainly should not promote distorted notions of human biology or push children further into gender dysphoria. If the allegations against Bellaire High School are true, then these parental guarantees have been grossly violated. No parent should have to endure such treatment, and this is another example of why I have long championed school choice in Texas. To that end, I have instructed TEA to investigate any allegation that employees of Bellaire High School sought to socially transition any student." 
 
At the direction of Governor Abbott, TEA already opened an investigation to determine whether Bellaire High School educators inappropriately "socially transitioned" a student against the wishes of the child's parents in violation of state laws that protect parental rights and guard against child abuse. 
 
Earlier this year in his State of the State Address, Governor Abbott declared that the State of Texas only recognizes two genders — male and female — and that any educator who discusses gender-transitioning with a student should be fired. In his joint address to Congress last week, President Donald Trump also highlighted how efforts by teachers to secretly transition children are a form of child abuse. Under Texas law, all licensed professionals who have direct contact with children — including doctors, nurses, and teachers — could be subject to criminal penalties for failure to report such child abuse. 
 
Read the Governor's letter to Representative Toth.