Houston Independent School District has agreed to settle a federal lawsuit brought by the parents of a Bellaire High School student who said district employees repeatedly referred to their daughter as a boy at school despite explicit instructions to use her legal name and pronouns reflecting her biological sex.
The settlement, filed in federal court late last week, directs Bellaire High School staff to use the student’s legal name and female pronouns while she remains a minor enrolled in Houston ISD. Superintendent Mike Miles signed the agreement on behalf of the district, which continues to deny wrongdoing but agreed to resolve the case. A judge has not yet signed off on the settlement.
The dispute began when Terry and Sarah Osborn discovered schoolwork showing teachers had been calling their daughter by a male name. According to the family, the practice started in her freshman year and continued into her junior year even after the parents told school employees to use her given name. The issue had first been raised publicly earlier this year when Moms for Liberty Harris County Chapter Chair Denise Bell told the Houston ISD board that Bellaire High School staff had been referring to the student by a male name and pronouns without parental consent.
In the Osborns’ case, the family says the issue persisted despite repeated attempts to resolve it. After finding assignments that used a masculine name, the parents contacted staff and instructed them to use her legal name and female pronouns. According to court filings, they later learned that multiple Bellaire employees continued using male pronouns for more than a year.
Alliance Defending Freedom, the legal organization representing the family, said the district ignored several requests to correct the problem and failed to provide documents the family sought under the Texas Public Information Act. In March 2025, ADF sent a letter demanding assurances that staff would follow the parents’ instructions and seeking records related to the situation. Attorneys say Houston ISD did not provide the requested documents or confirm any changes.
ADF filed suit soon after, describing the district’s actions as facilitating the “social transitioning” of the minor child without parental consent. The complaint alleged that more than six Bellaire employees used male pronouns for two years, even after the parents objected.
The lawsuit also noted a meeting with Principal Michael Niggli, who proposed that teachers refer to the student only by her last name. The Osborns rejected that proposal and again instructed school personnel to use their daughter’s legal name and female pronouns.
As part of the newly reached agreement, Houston ISD will instruct all Bellaire staff to refer to the student by her legal name or a nickname derived from that name and by female pronouns for as long as she is a minor and enrolled in the district. In exchange, the Osborns agreed to dismiss their claims and release the district from future liability. Houston ISD continues to deny the allegations.
ADF Senior Counsel Kate Anderson said the settlement affirms a long-recognized constitutional protection. “Parents have the right to direct the upbringing, education, and health care of their children without fear of government interference,” she said. Anderson added that school officials should work with families rather than contradict parental instructions.
ADF announced Friday that attorneys for both sides filed a joint stipulation of dismissal, formally ending the lawsuit pending the judge’s approval.
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