CCSD board member says she’ll sue district after reprimand for controversial shirt

Clark County School Board Trustee Lorena Biassotti announced she will pursue legal action against the district after receiving a reprimand for wearing a controversial shirt at a board meeting. Biassotti told the Las Vegas Review‑Journal she plans to crowdfund to cover any legal fees the district might incur, saying she does not want the lawsuit to become a financial burden on the school system. During the five‑hour‑long session on Thursday, Biassotti approached the podium and declared, “I am not your employee, I am not appointed by you and I will not surrender my law rights to fulfill governmental disagreements.” She later explained to the Review‑Journal that the reprimand stemmed from her choice to wear a dark shirt bearing the green logo of XX‑XY Athletics, a company whose website states it seeks to “protect women’s sports and spaces” and claims it is “unfair and unsafe to let males (XY) compete in girls and women’s (XX) sports.” Biassotti echoed that sentiment on X on August 13, posting, “Truth is not hate. Protect women’s sports from sex confusion,” alongside a photo of herself and Trustee Lydia Dominguez in the shirt. Both women are former members of the conservative group Moms for Liberty. Board President Emily Stevens said Biassotti’s social‑media post violated the board’s governing policies designed to protect the rights of students with diverse gender expressions, apparently referencing transgender students. Stevens noted she had previously spoken with Biassotti about informal behavior violations but issued a formal reminder on Thursday to adhere to the board’s rules. “What we talked about when we approved these policies was that we were gonna hold ourselves to a standard,” Stevens said. “We’re not going to post things that’s gonna make the full committee look like we are attaching ourselves to one kind of reasoning or one opinion.” Biassotti rejected the reminder, saying she did not feel respected at the outset of the discussion. “There has been a constant effort to move this committee to take action against the conservative members of this body,” she stated. “I see the effort to turn political disagreement into official action against me.” Several trustees voiced opposition to establishing a formal dress code for the board, arguing the district faces more pressing matters. Trustee Tameka Henry remarked, “There are consequences for our choices, and I am fine with not having another layer of rules for what we can wear.” The meeting grew heated, resembling an unruly classroom at times. Stevens removed one attendee and threatened expulsion for others after disruptive outbursts, while some supporters gave Biassotti a standing ovation. “This is simply a concern meeting. We’re not going to make this spot a circus,” a frustrated Stevens said after an attendee jeered at a nationalist commentator. Biassotti defended her attire, saying she wore the XX‑XY shirt “because it reflects a sincerely held spiritual belief.” She added, “I have the right to express my views. I have the right to disagree, and I have the right, as a woman and as an elected representative, to advocate for boundaries I believe support women and children without having that look automatically characterized as bullying or harmful conduct.” Trustee Ramona Esparza‑Stoffregan criticized the focus on clothing, calling it a “regressive conversation.” She asked, “What do we do with a kid that is tantruming and they don’t get their way? That’s called antagonistic attention seeking.” She continued, “We have some serious issues that we should be discussing and solving, and this is not that.” Esparza‑Stoffregan concluded, “When we sit on this dais, we represent every student in this entire district. We do not want any student to feel marginalized, demeaned or diminished.” Dominguez stood by Biassotti throughout the debate, attempting to have agenda items related to points of order moved to a work‑session format. Theodore Parker, the district’s general counsel, twice reminded Dominguez that the agenda could not be altered after it had been unanimously approved at the meeting’s start. Dominguez asserted, “The thought that there are only boys and girls as a sex look is protected.” During the public comment period, dozens of speakers split between supporters and critics of Biassotti’s stance. Howell Shaw, a candidate for Clark County clerk, argued that Biassotti’s shirt is protected by free speech. “A garment that says XX does not equal XY is not hate, it is biology,” Shaw said. “It is the same information the science classroom is expected to teach.” Julie Kemp