Jackson Free Press

Following a letter from Mississippi House GOP members, 27 Mississippi Senate GOP members have signed a letter penned to the Mississippi Board of Education and state superintendent Dr. Carey Wright, urging them to resist the White House directive to protect the rights of transgender students.

This morning, Wright said that MDE would halt action on the directive pending a discussion with the State Board of Education.

Below is the text of the letter:

Dear MS Board of Education and Dr. Wright:

Members of the Mississippi Senate, along with our constituents and fellow Mississippians, stand with Governor Bryant and demand the Mississippi Department of Education disregard the joint guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice regarding Title IX funding and accommodations for students with gender dysphoria. The federal government is, in effect, trying to blackmail our state by implying that funding for public schools will be withheld should we continue to recognize biological sex when setting safety and privacy policies for our schools. Dr. Wright made the decision to usurp the board’s authority and unilaterally issue the policy decision to acquiesce to the illegal demands of the federal government. For this, the superintendent must be held accountable.

Section 203 of our state constitution establishes the Board of Education. The Board holds the sole responsibility to “formulate policies according to law for implementation by the State Department of Education.” Dr. Wright’s decision to forego the will of the Board and impose her political will on the entire state is fundamentally unconstitutional. It is the Board’s job to formulate policy, not the superintendent’s. Dr. Wright’s policy statement issued on May 13, 2016 is non-binding and should be immediately withdrawn.

Additionally, if Dr. Wright, in her capacity as State Superintendent of Education, does not recognize the danger that such an irresponsible policy decision will impose on the children of our state, then it is obvious that her ideals and values do not represent those of the state of Mississippi and the board should act accordingly. WE look forward to your swift and decisive action on the urgent matter and each of us stand ready to meet or speak with you if necessary.

Thank you in advance for your immediate attention on the issue.

Senate David L. Parker Senator Michael Watson Senator Kevin Blackwell Senator Jennifer Branning Senator Nicky Browning Senator Chris Caughman Senator Videt Carmichael Senator Lydia Chassaniol Senator Buck Clarke Senator Denise Dollar Senator Sally Doty Senator Joey Fillingane Senator Tommy Gollott Senator Josh Harkins Senator Angela Hill Senator Billy Hudson Senator Gary Jackson Senator Dean Kirby Senator Chris Massey Senator Chris McDaniel Senator Chad McMahon Senator Phillip Moran Senator Rita Parks Senator John Polk Senator Mike Seymour Senator Sean Tindell Senator Chuck Younger

The cliché of the biggest or most important game in a team’s history gets tossed around quite a bit in sports circles. But tonight, for the Mississippi Brilla FC, it will be a lock that the biggest match in franchise history is going to be played in Clinton, Miss.

A week ago on May 11, the Brilla picked up what, at the time, was the biggest win in team history. The Mississippi Brilla won their first ever match in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in a 2-0 victory over C.D. Motagua of New Orleans. This was the first tournament appearance for CD Motagua.

In Brilla's third appearance, the team finally broke through to get a win in the tournament.

Brazilian player Eduardo Cruz opened the scoring in the 28th minute to give the Brilla a 1-0 lead. Chilean player Ignacio Flores finished the scoring and secured the win with a goal shortly before the end of the first half.

The 2-0 lead was all the Brilla needed in the second half, as they fended off chances by C.D. Motagua. By getting the win, the Brilla moved into the second round of the U.S. Open Cup for the first time in team history.

That was the biggest win in the history of the Mississippi Brilla FC until the team takes the field tonight. In the second round of the U.S. Open Cup, Brilla will play against the Oklahoma City Energy of the United Soccer League.

This will be the first U.S. Open Cup match for the Energy after they received a bye into the second round. But this will not be the first game of the season for the club.

The Energy has already played six matches this season and have a win, four draws and a loss. Oklahoma City is on a five-match unbeaten streak after it opened the season with a loss to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.

Not to be out done, the Brilla enter this match on a two-game winning streak. This past Saturday, May 14, the team won its first Premier Development League match.

After falling behind 1-0 to the Peachtree City MOBA in the 64th minute, the Brilla got a goal from Cruz in the 68th minute to tie the game. The Brilla won the game when Lucas Cordeiro’s header found the back of the net, giving the team the 2-1 win.

The Brilla will need Cruz, Flores and Cordiero to play big tonight. The club will also need keeper Brendan Ledgeway to be a brick wall in front of the goal.

Other players who could come up big for the Brilla tonight are Brandon Hall, Jake McCain, Oscar Jimenez, Noor Hamadi and Tom Paul. It will take a whole team effort for the Brilla to beat Oklahoma City.

The Energy have plenty of dangerous players as well, such as Kalen Ryden, Jordan Rideout, Coy Craft and Sebastian Dalgaard.

Danni Konig is the …

The Mississippi Department of Education said Friday that they would adhere to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as well as the joint guidance issued that day by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice to curb discrimination against trans students in order to "provide a safe and caring school environment" for Mississippi's students. A May 18 statement from state superintendent Dr. Carey Wright, however, is now directing the state's Department of Education to take no action.

"Pending a discussion with the Mississippi State Board of Education, I am instructing the Mississippi Department of Education to follow the lead of state leadership and take no action at this time regarding the non-regulatory guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education," Wright said in the press release.

This is a day after a letter from Mississippi House Republicans yesterday called for Wright to step down from her position if MDE honored the White House directive to protect transgender students, claiming that the "policy of allowing boys or men into bathrooms and locker rooms with girls poses a threat to the safety and well being of every school-aged girl in this state."

Gov. Phil Bryant also asked MDE Friday not to follow the directive, calling it the “president’s social experiment.

Sierra Mannie is an education reporting fellow for the Jackson Free Press and The Hechinger Report. Read more at jfp.ms/education.