Parents in a community of Austin, Texas, are outraged that their school superintendent has approved same-sex partner benefits for school employees -- a decision he made without any input from the public.
Jonathan Saenz of Texas Values, a group promoting family values, says this was a power grab by Charles Dupre, an unelected superintendent who shut the Pflugerville residents, taxpayers and board of education out of the process. Dupre claims the decision came out of a discussion about workplace diversity.
"The public is very unhappy about this," Saenz accounts. "There's been no analysis about the tax and fiscal impact that it's going to have on the school district area, which I think is a guarantee that it's going to raise costs for the school district. And so there are way too many questions that haven't been answered -- and that's what happens when you don't do things the right way."
This controversy over benefits for homosexuals, he says, is far from over.
"A state legislator has gotten involved in this and is going to ask the attorney general to take a look at this and find out if these domestic partnerships and that type of language actually violate our state constitution, which says you cannot recognize a legal entity that's similar to marriage," the conservative details.
Saenz notes that the school board has taken a hands-off approach to the issue, and he believes they need to be held accountable for their inaction.
The new policy is scheduled to take effect January 1.