The Association of Texas Professional Educators, in its role as the largest educator association in Texas, has signed on to an amicus brief prepared by attorneys at the University of Houston Law Center in the case of Abbott v. Doe. The case pertains to Gov. Greg Abbott’s February 2022 directive to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate instances of gender-affirming care provided to minors as child abuse.

An amicus brief is a document filed by a “friend of court,” or a party that has a strong interest in the matter at hand. The University of Houston Law Center brief specifically relates to the effect Abbott’s directive has on teachers, who are required by law to report child abuse. The brief details three potential detriments to Texas public educators should the State of Texas prevail in this case: ambiguity resulting from vague standards that will cause confusion and misreporting in a highly specialized area; a conflict between state and federal legal mandates; and potentially compromised trust between educator and student.

In signing on to this amicus brief, ATPE urges the Court to fully consider the effect its ruling will have on the 400,000-plus educators of Texas and their legal duty to report child abuse.

About the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE)
Founded in 1980, ATPE is the leading educators’ association in Texas with approximately 90,000 members statewide. With its strong collaborative philosophy, ATPE speaks for classroom teachers, administrators, and future, retired, and para-educators and works to create better opportunities for Texas’ five million public school students. | atpe.org