Attn: Chancellor Dr.

Joe May

ID: LSG-2015-TX-0011

Dallas County Community College District

1601 South Lamar St.
Dallas, TX 75215
jmay@dcccd.edu
Sent via: Electronic mail
December 28th, 2015
Chancellor Dr. Joe May,
My name is Isaiah X. Smith and I am sending you this letter for the purpose of congratulating the Dallas
County Community College District for their policy on the inclusion and the protection of individuals who
are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgendered.
I.

General information
As you may already know Dallas County Community College District is composed of seven
public community colleges that are located in Dallas County, Texas. Your public educational
institution serves more than 70,000 students. The Dallas County Community College District
is one of the largest public college districts in the State of Texas.
On January 3rd, 2012 the Dallas Community College District voted to include gender
identity to the districts non-discrimination policy. Transgendered students deserve to be
protected from unlawful forms and discrimination and harassment. So it is a great thing that
your public educational institution did add official protections to your policy to make sure
that all students of every shape and form are protected from unlawful forms of
discrimination and harassment.
Bullying statics with regards to LGBT students
In the State of Texas many members of the LGBT community are often faced with
harassment and bullying in public educational institutions in the State of Texas.
Administrators of public schools are sometimes deliberate indifferent as to protecting
students who are LGBT. Deliberate indifference in regards to protecting and preventing
unlawful forms of discrimination and harassment against protected classes cannot be
tolerated and has got to stop.
As I have states before, a lot of students who are LGBT are often bullied and harassed in
public educational institutions. Statically speaking, 82% of students who are LGBT have
experienced problems in their schools due to their sexual orientation. 64% felt unsafe at
their school due to their sexual orientation and 44% felt unsafe at their school due to their
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gender identity. Oh and 32% did not go to school for at least one day because of feeling
unsafe. I am extremely hopeful that those percentages will go down once public educational
institutions start abiding by the law by protecting protected classes form unlawful forms
of discrimination and harassment.
Equal Protection Clause
It is my understanding that federal law prohibits discrimination and harassment based on
prejudice against lesbian, gay, and bisexual students or teachers if an educational institution
is public. If a school district is not public but receives federal financial assistance, that school
district is required by federal law to prohibit sexual harassment against lesbian, gay, and
bisexual students.
The Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution of the United States of America requires all
public educational institutions to protect students who are LGBT from harassment and
discrimination on an equal basis as to all other students. Public school districts are not
allowed to selectively choose which students they will protect from unlawful forms of
discrimination and harassment.
There have been a lot of successful lawsuits made against school districts that have failed to
protect students who are LGBT from discrimination and harassment. See Flores v. Morgan
Hill Unified School District, 2003; Montgomery v. Independent School District, 2000; and
Nabozny v. Podlesny, 1996.
Title IX Federal Law
Title IX is a federal law that is also used in regards to discrimination and harassment of LGBT
students by educational institutions that receive federal financial assistance. The Title IX
federal law makes school district accountable for their actions if the school districts fail to
correct sex-based discrimination and harassment of LGBT students by other students and
teachers once school officials have been notified of such unlawful conduct. See Davis v.
Monroe County School District, 1999.
Sex discrimination is prohibited thanks to the Title IX federal law. More specifically sexual
orientation discrimination and harassment is a form of sex discrimination because
sexual orientation is inherently based on sex. See Baehr v. Lewin, 1993; Lovell, 1998. An
individuals sexual orientation is based on his/her sex plus the sex of the person he/she is
attracted to. A lot of times sexual orientation discrimination involved sex stereotyping,
such as males and females should only be attracted to members of the opposite sex.
Sex stereotyping is a form of sex discrimination and it applies equally to men and
women. See Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, 1989 and United States v. Virginia, 1996.

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Equal treatment has to occur in educational institutions that are public or that receive
federal financial assistance
It should be very clear that public educational institutions and educational institutions that
receive federal financial assistance should treat all students equally. Their official policies
should also prohibit unlawful forms of discrimination and harassment from occurring against
students who are LGBT. I strongly believe that LGBT students have and should have a right
to get their education in a non-hostile educational environment.
II.

Minority discrimination history in the United States of America

Minorities have often been discriminated in the United States of America; however as a
country it appears that we are progressing. It was not too long ago that all races were not
allowed to vote in primary elections. Thanks to Smith v. Allwright, 321 U.S. 649 (1944),
the Supreme Court ruled that primary elections must be open to all races. Racial
segregation on public transportation used to be legal however thanks to Boynton v.
Virginia, 364 U.S. 454 (1960), that practice was ruled illegal. Even same-sex marriages
between two consenting adults used to be illegal in a various number of states, however
thanks to Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. ___ (2015) that practice was declared illegal by
being unconstitutional.
Looking back at the history of the United States of America, we as a country have come a
long way. As a country we are not their yet however it does speak volume for your public
educational institution in the State of Texas to openly support the protection of the rights
of minorities from unlawful forms of discrimination and harassment.

III.

Conclusion
In conclusion I would like to again thank your public educational institution for all of the
great work that you have been doing for the protection of minorities. It is very imperative
for public educational institutions and educational institutions that receive federal financial
assistance to make sure that students who are LGBT are not subjected to hostile
educational environments. That can be accomplished by the creation and the enforcement
of fair and just official policies that make sure that unlawful forms of discrimination and
harassment are not tolerated.
This letter is being sent to you because I want to show my support to the Dallas County
Community College District as to the great work that you are all doing. Your public college
district is heading in the rights direction and as a fellow citizen of the United States of
America, I am extremely proud as to your hearts and the hard work that you guys are doing
to make sure that minority students are protected from unlawful forms of discrimination
and harassment.

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I will soon be speaking at your public college districts board meeting regarding this very
important issue and another thing of importance. I am hopefully looking forward to working
with you all next year.
IV.

Acknowledgement letter
An acknowledgment letter would be greatly appreciated. You can reach me by electronic
mail at: iscampaign@usa.com. You can also send me a letter at the following mailing
address:
Isaiah Smith Campaign
P.O Box 163411
Fort Worth, Texas, 76161

Respectfully,
Isaiah X. Smith
Isaiah Smith Campaign
P.O Box 163411
Fort Worth, Texas, 76161
www.isaiahxsmith.com

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