Episcopal parish school embracing transgender child

A student considering undergoing a transition from one gender to another will stay at St. Luke’s Episcopal School, officials said Friday.

The parochial school cited its mission statement and a 2011 board-adopted stand on diversity when it announced the decision to parents, who are among the city’s most affluent. Ultimately, officials decided “to embrace this child,” board chairwoman Peggy Pace said.

Three families have withdrawn a total of five students from the school as a result. St. Luke’s officials have received some critical letters and emails, but the overwhelming response has been positive, they said. Head of School Thomas McLaughlin said he got 40 emails on Thursday, all of them supportive.

St. Luke’s officials cited privacy for not revealing the student’s name, gender, age or grade. A KSAT-TV report said the student was a boy who would return to school after the holiday break as a girl.

They did say the family has another child at St. Luke’s, and has been part of the school community for several years. McLaughlin and Pace said they’ve received no reports of bullying or harassment against the student.

Though older transgender students, most notably at Memorial High School in the Edgewood Independent School District early this year, have spoken openly about their status, this might be the first local instance of a younger student making a gender transition with the school community’s knowledge.

St. Luke’s teaches pre-K through eighth grades. The average cost of annual tuition is about $12,500.

In mid-November, Pace and McLaughlin dispatched a letter to the parents of the school’s 292 students informing them of the decision and basing it on the school’s 2011 statement on equality and diversity.

“After much prayer, research and thorough consideration, we have concluded that St. Luke’s will reaffirm our intentional commitment to inclusivity,” the letter said. “We encourage you to join us in ongoing prayer, asking God to quiet our fears, stir our compassion, and open our hearts and minds.”

The letter noted the school has studied the issue beginning in August, including the use of consultants. Pace, who has a child and grandchild at the school, said the board did “a good deal of prayerful discernment.”

Officials said they consulted with the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest — attending its conference on the issue last month — as well as the National Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of Episcopal Schools, the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools and the Diocese of West Texas.

Officials also met with parish leaders, peer schools and legal experts, Pace said.

But the heart of the school’s decision was its own 2011 Diversity and Equity Statement, published in its handbook since 2012, which all parents must sign. It says that diversity “sensitive to the interests and traditions of others emulates Christ-like principles of living.”

The letter sent to parents Nov. 19 was followed Nov. 20 by a list of resources on how to discuss the issue with children.

“We wanted to get this right,” Pace said. “We wanted to be true to the Episcopal tradition of inclusivity but also wanted to make sure to address legal ramifications on either side.

“We’re still listening” to those who disagree, she said. “We recognize that the school might not be a good fit for some people who have a different philosophy about transgender students.”