AUSTIN, Texas – In a lengthy public meeting Wednesday night, the Wimberley ISD (WISD) Board of Trustees announced that they will no longer be taking legal action against parents that display a rainbow Wimberley Texans logo to show support and solidarity for LGBTQ students.
“We are disappointed by the decision of the board, especially the fact that they did not fully grapple with how the district’s actions chilled people’s First Amendment rights. But this is also a victory for Wimberley parents, who will now be able to use the altered LGBTQ Pride logo without any repercussion,” said Brian Klosterboer, attorney for the ACLU of Texas. “As this unprecedented school year ends, LGBTQ students in Wimberley and their allies can at least know they don’t have to bear the added challenge of fearing legal action for a simple – and legally protected – act of free expression.”
“I am so proud of the outcome we achieved! The WISD school board has confirmed LGBTQ students, allies, and parents may use the Texan Pride rainbow logo without fear of repercussion,” said Bryan Burke, the WISD parent who filed grievance. “However, the First Amendment has always supported this type of expression and it is disappointing that the district didn’t recognize this from the beginning. For me, this effort has been about supporting my daughter’s pride and that of the other students in the school. This was an issue worth fighting for, and without the ACLU of Texas and the support of others, assaults on civil liberties by those in power would go unabated.”
The online public meeting was held in response to a grievance filed by the ACLU of Texas to defend the First Amendment rights of a Wimberley parent, Bryan Burke, who sought to use the rainbow logo but feared the District would follow through on its threat to sue those who used it. While the district denied the grievance, Wimberley ISD published a statement that ultimately allows Mr. Burke and others to use this rainbow logo.
