Hutto ISD responds to 'undercover video investigation' about transgender sports
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A group behind several “undercover video investigations” that sparked action from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton recently targeted a local school district.
Accuracy in Media, a watchdog media group, released a video that showed someone posing as a parent talking to a Hutto ISD administrator about getting their transgender child into the school and exploring if they can participate in sports.
That administrator said the district would have to follow the sex on the child’s birth certificate. In 2023, Governor Greg Abbott signed into law what’s known as “Save Women’s Sports Act,” requiring public school sports teams be designated by students’ sex assigned at birth.
In the video, the school worker noted if the child had a birth certificate from out-of-state that reflected their gender identity, the district would accept that — even if that out-of-state birth certificate had been changed since birth.
It’s unclear when the interaction occurred. KXAN asked Accuracy in Media for additional information about the video.
Hutto ISD said in a statement that person was “no longer employed” with the district, and added “in Texas, we have a very strict process that we follow. Also, individuals do not speak on behalf of the district and the message conveyed in the video does not reflect the views or policies of Hutto ISD. We want to reiterate that Hutto ISD respects, follows, and adheres to Texas laws as well as UIL guidelines and policies for our student athletes.”
KXAN asked the school district for clarification on the nature of the administrator’s exit. This story will be updated if we receive a response.
The group previously recorded similar “undercover” videos at two North Texas school districts—Dallas ISD and Irving ISD.
Abbott posted on social media regarding the Irving ISD administrator.
“This Irving ISD Administrator should be fired on the spot. Both criminal & civil investigations must be taken against both the Administrator & Irving ISD. Has Irving ISD and its employees been involved in a fraudulent breach of state laws & a cover up? We must get the facts,” Abbott wrote on X.
On Thursday, Paxton demanded documents from Dallas and Irving school districts. In a letter, Paxton said the office is concerned the videos may show an unstated policy to not follow state law.
Is it illegal to record a conversation in Texas?
As far as recording laws, Texas is considered a “one-party consent” state, meaning only one party involved in a conversation must be aware when there is a recording being made with another person.
According to the Texas State Law Library, “unless at least one of the parties to a conversation consents, both Texas and federal wiretapping laws make it a crime to record an audio conversation if the parties have a ‘reasonable expectation of privacy.’”
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) said, in Texas, a journalist does not need consent to record conversations in public where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy. However, disclosing an illegal recording of an in-person conversation or electronic communication is a felony offense.
“Anyone whose in-person, telephone or electronic conversation has been recorded or disclosed in violation of the law can bring a civil suit and may be entitled to recover a sum of $10,000 for each violation, actual damages in excess of $10,000, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees and court costs,” RCFP said. “An aggrieved person may also seek an injunction prohibiting further unlawful recording or disclosure.”
