DENTON, Texas– Citizens Defending Freedom (CDF) is standing with a local grandmother in her push to remove two transgender ideology promoting books from a Denton Independent School District (DISD) elementary library. Meanwhile, DISD is standing by their decision, which will be challenged at an upcoming board meeting on February 27th. The two books in question are, "Jacob's New Dress" and "Jacob's Room to Choose" by Sarah Hoffman. CDF attorneys are working with well-known Texas attorney Mitch Little, who will try to convince the school board to remove the books at the next board meeting.
The issue was brought forth by Debi Scaggs who has raised children in the district and currently has a grandchild attending school in Denton ISD. Scaggs questions the educational suitability of certain books introducing gender ideology to young children. The December 18 decision retains "Jacob's New Dress" and "Jacob's Room to Choose" in the library and allows their use in classrooms. Scaggs contends that these books are educationally unsuitable and do not meet the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) collection development standards for school libraries, underscoring the need for these discussions to be within the purview of parents, with a focus on foundational subjects.
The School’s Review Committee removed 3 of the 5 books Scaggs brought to their attention. However, they chose to keep “Jacob’s New Dress” and “Jacob’s Room to Choose” for use in elementary libraries and classrooms.
One committee reviewer said of “Jacob’s New Dress”, “This book encourages students to express themselves in dress up to explore their creativity.”
Scaggs and many other concerned parents would simply like Denton ISD to encourage children to learn subjects like math and English, while leaving the issue of “dress up” to parents.
In expressing her grievance, Scaggs said, “Parents should address this topic at home based on their child's maturity. Introducing it to young children may be seen as indoctrination, planting seeds in young minds not mature enough to navigate such complexities. When a school district intentionally provides such educationally unsuitable material, particularly without considering age appropriateness, the district increases the risk of enabling gender confusion which adversely affects or endangers the mental health of the students.”
Having already filed a Level II grievance, Scaggs will escalate the matter to Level III, which brings the case before the school board for a more comprehensive review and public discussion.
Attorney Mitch Little is a Denton County resident who has 3 school-age children. Little recently was part of the team of super lawyers who successfully defended Attorney General Ken Paxton against impeachment. He has agreed to represent concerned parents at the school board meeting pro bono and is not accepting payment from CDF.
For more information or to participate in the public discourse, interested individuals are encouraged to attend the upcoming school board meeting scheduled for Tuesday February, 27, which will provide a platform for concerned community members to voice their opinions on the inclusion of these books in elementary schools.
About Citizens Defending Freedom:
Founded in 2021, Citizens Defending Freedom is a non-profit organization that strategically operates in counties across America to help citizens defend their faith and freedom, all while fighting for transparency in local government. Currently, Citizens Defending Freedom has official counties in Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Texas. The group is rapidly expanding its footprint and expects to grow into one of America’s largest political nonprofits. Click here to learn more about Citizens Defending Freedom.