colleyville heritage high school scandal colleyville heritage high school scandal

By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas, Colleyville Heritage principal accused of teaching critical race theory put on paid leave, the principal and a crowd of supporters attended a school board meeting, multiple sources in the district have said, an incident in which a school administrator asked Whitfield to remove a photo of him and his wife, who is white, After call for his firing, Colleyville Heritage principal speaks about critical race theory claims, What we know after 3 children killed, 2 wounded at Ellis County home, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones defers comment on revival of sexual harassment lawsuit. Had that photo been the only image, there would have been no request to remove it., In the superintendents letter Monday, Ryan told parents that the entire District leadership team and I are fully committed to the success and well-being of Colleyville Heritage students as we move forward together.. Anna Caplan covers McKinney, Southlake, Grapevine and Colleyville. "It would be my hope that more rational minds prevail. The tick-tock drama of Bryans story, that compelling personal narrative, the hour-by-hour recounting of his traverse from good kid to drug user, would elevate the series. Now, GOP lawmakers have turned their attention to what books children have access to in schools. Theyd made a mistake, she says. Dude, I think thats your mom.. A Black North Texas principal has agreed to resign after being put on paid administrative leave in August amid accusations he was teaching and promoting critical race theory. (Even though, technically, its in Euless.) Critical race theory, or CRT, is an academic discipline usually taught at the university level. COLLEYVILLE The Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Tarrant County on Tuesday requested a meeting with the civil rights office of the U.S. Department of Education to discuss the ongoing. The curriculum, an academic framework that says racism is a systemic problem perpetuated by government policies and institutions, is not taught in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, multiple sources in the district have said. Clark said Whitfield was encouraging the disruption and destruction of our district because Whitfield, the high school's first Black principal, wrote a letter to the community during the summer of 2020 detailing how hurt he was over the deaths of three Black Americans: George Floyd in Minnesota, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. Thats your investigation? "I wish I had the conviction to say, 'No, I'm not going to take it down; that's a picture of me and my wife kissing on the beach; there's no reason for me to take this photo down.'". She wants a million-five. But the students at CHHS had obviously read the story. Mother and son had always been close, though. 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She hurried downstairs and called the pharmacy at the nearby Walgreens. Instead of issuing their support of me, they came after me, he said. He says that many of the football players at Colleyville were introduced to steroids by someone from a nearby rival. As the editorial note at the storys end explained, She and her son feared retaliation from other Colleyville athletes, coaches, and parents. He knewfrom friends, from weight-room whispers, from his own two eyesthat many of the starters were accomplishing just that task with injected aid. At that moment, it didnt seem like an earth-shattering admission. Cunningham says one of the reasons he reacted the way he did, he was told that she was screaming at school officials and accusing him of condoning the steroid use. All four got out of the car. There were also names. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our incredible journalism, in print and digital. But I didnt want any of this for Bryan, Lewis says. Colleyville Heritage High School Principal James Whitfield opened up in a lengthy Facebook post on July 31 about the incident from 2019 shortly after he had been promoted to the top post at. That was months ago. James Whitfield, principal of Colleyville Heritage High School in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, was placed on paid administrative leave in late August, a month after a former school board candidate . Colleyville Heritage High School principal James Whitfield has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials. Who is available? THEATRE DEPARTMENT. Whatever. My mom catches me at everything, Bryan says. Media pundits like Hansen say she should shut up and let it be. 817-305-4717. State Rep. Matt Krause of Fort Worth, who is running for state attorney general, recently launched an inquiry into the types of books students can access in Texas schools, which included an 850-book list. By about 6 p.m., all students had been dismissed and all buses had left the campus, according to the school district. 6 /10. Shows are now Feb. 3 (Fri.), 4 (Sat. The decision. I knew what I was getting into. In fact, she knows that by filing a slander suit against the schools football coach, Chris Cunningham, she has only invited more recrimination. Its been a roller coaster for him, she says. I just wish everyone else would.. Its bad enough they identified her as a cheerleader. "We don't know what report they're talking about," she said. No one could see her talking to school officials. As a new campus principal, we wanted to provide a smooth transition for Dr. Whitfield to Heritage Middle School, which is why we advised him of the concern and made a request for the photos to be taken down from Facebook, it added. He marched into his mothers room and paced in front of her. They said, Could you take it down? She tries to focus on the things shes helped accomplish. We remain committed to providing a learning environment at Colleyville Heritage that fosters and encourages student academic and extracurricular achievement," Grapevine-Colleyville ISD said in a news release. The answer, anabolic steroids, provided a bit of relief. Faking it wasnt easy. People know each other. The high school has about 2,000 students in ninth through 12th grades. She opened it wide and turned it to the light. Hes just got to get a little faster, a little bigger, a little stronger. Can you believe those boys using steroids? one asked. Hed only used them for a short while at the end of his sophomore year, when he wanted to make the varsity team as a junior. They werent too happy with me, she says. His decision. The Colleyville kids rarely venture far from home. Dr. James Whitfield has been promoted several times in the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD system. The decision to place Dr. Whitfield on administrative leave was not a result of statements made by members of the public, including those who spoke at recent meetings of the GCISD Board of Trustees. Hes not happy that Im still talking to the media. According to state test scores, 55% of students are at least proficient in math and 77% in reading. On the bus, she read, careful not to catch anyones eye. When Bryan got to school on Monday, it didnt take long to see that his cover had been blown. Show us with your support. In a letter to parents Monday, Superintendent Robin Ryan wrote that Whitfield has been placed on leave but that he would not go into the specifics because it is a personnel matter., Whitfield, the schools first Black principal, told The Dallas Morning News on Monday night that he was told he was put on leave indefinitely because the superintendent has determined that doing so is in the best interest of the District.. Police did not identify either individual. There were four teenagers inside, two in the front seat, two in back. And while her son was fighting his battles, Lewis was fighting hers. (817) 305-4700. Hate and #racism will not rule the day. Colleyville Heritage High School Principal James Whitfield has faced sharp criticism from some parents who are accusing him of teaching critical race theory. People leave me alone. And the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD has adopted an aggressive drug-testing policy, due largely to the hot media glare Lewis helped focus on the school and its tepid (in her view) initial response to her charges. Perhaps that would spur someone to investigate the problem more aggressively. Never missed one, she says proudly. About 20 showed up to the second meeting. It ate at her. It was a football player. James Whitfield, 43, principal at Colleyville Heritage High School, has been placed on leave by the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD after being accused of teaching critical race theory at his. "The vast majority of people in that community, they know who I am. Hes on his third cycle.. We've received your submission. Even though it was approved by the district, the presentation was used to vilify my colleagues and me, he wrote. Copyright 2023, D Magazine Partners, Inc. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. It was time to do something about her own reputationand those of future whistle-blowers. Can you hide it? and I asked, Why? He hopes he starts, he says. The Colleyville Heritage Steroid Scandal After finding steroids in her son's athletic bag in September of 2004, a Colleyville Heritage mom approached school administrators after. Its he and his beautiful wife, they have a beautiful family, Sunni Roppollo, who has children at Colleyville Heritage High, told KXAS, adding that there was no reason to censor him.I chalk it up to educators are held to a different standard, unfortunately. Are insane ticket costs pricing Astros fans out of Opening Day? What's wrong with the picture?' The parents shes known since Bryan played tee ball with their kids a dozen years ago ignore her. Colleyville Heritage High School principal James Whitfield has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Grapevine-Colleyville . But she acknowledges that if shed known then how her city would turn against her, how her son would become ostracized by other kids, how her motives would be mocked on radio and television, how her actions would be second-guessed by police, it would have given her pause. Other people in the audience shouted in support and cheered when Clark made his remarks. Phone calls can only be accepted the day of the absence. Tickets for cancelled shows will be honored at these performances. Im gonna beat your ass.. It was the right thing to do. I just want to know, Why? This story has been shared 117,245 times. Well, I had an interesting day, he told his mother by phone that night. She has begun to work with Don Hooton, the Plano father whose 17-year-old son committed suicide in July 2003 because of his steroids-induced depression, to raise steroid awareness and stiffen national testing laws. This PTA does not endorse n See more 636 people like this HERE IS PART OF ABC CHANNEL 8 SPORTS director Dale Hansens on-air editorial from April 19, the day Lewis filed a lawsuit against Coach Chris Cunningham for slander, asking for $1.5 million in damages. No big deal, Bryan thought. He decided in the summer to concentrate on baseball. Cunningham wants to know, Why now? Under mounting pressure from district officials, local and national media, and law enforcement, a total of nine other CHHS athletes confessed to use of steroids and other PEDs. It would be my hope finally someone listens to the students because ultimately that's who we're here to serve. The district told WFAA again Friday that the decision has nothing to do with critical race theory or allegations by a small group of parents. [2] Colleyville Heritage High School celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2006. Butbefore he could pop open the champagne his boss called and asked him to check his email. It was too quiet, she says. Cunningham has apologized and said it was wrong to say the things he did, but I think anybody would have reacted the same way. I'm ready to turn that next page, Whitfield told The Texas Tribune on Wednesday. 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It has 1,879 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 14 to 1. Keeping Score: FC Dallas lights up the sky and the net on 80s night vs. LA Galaxy, 71-year-old man with dementia missing in Fort Worth, Expect mostly sunny skies this weekend after severe weather hits North Texas, Keller ISD teacher says school administrators asked him to remove Black Lives Matter banner in classroom, 'If I fold, what do they have left?' The weekend before the series was to run, a fax came to the Morning News. Maybe he wont tell anyone.Then she read paragraph 33, which detailed Patricks efforts to have a woman buy his needles so he wouldnt arouse suspicion: The cheerleader went to a nearby Kroger supermarket. August 30, 2021 / 5:42 PM He was just letting her know that he wasnt alone. "His diversity efforts have just been amazing," said student Samantha Zelling, who took part in Friday's march and protest. Then, two weeks later, Bryan left a movie theater on a weekend night. First, she noticed the syringes. 562. Greg Abbott has called for it to be abolished in Texas schools. No one from above ever mentioned anything else about it, but the damage was inflicted on us in profound ways, he wrote. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Woman in viral pizza rant now facing ethnic harassment charges, Murdaugh Judge Clifton Newman: From segregated schools to the best we want in our jurists, NYC DOE probing anti-white texts linked to black superintendent, Black children attack, force white kids to say Black Lives Matter at Ohio school: video. James Whitfield chose to resign from his position as principal of Colleyville Heritage High School and the school board unanimously accepted on Monday. She went to sleep thinking it was the right thing to do. The story said one boy admitted to using them. It's something he and the district have denied. His resignation won't be official. One of those parents complained. He wrote that he cant ask others to speak up if he wont, and that being a school administrator does not take away my rights and ability to be human and defend myself.. Opposition to critical race theory has become a rallying cry for Texas Republican leaders, who claim its indoctrinating students and teaching white students that they are racist. Hey, you little pussy, he said. Ive counted. Sitting in her living room, Lewis moans slightly and puts her head down when her son explains what his life is like now: I just want this to be over, Bryan, 17, says. In two sentences, theyd given Bryan away., Patrick arranged the [steroids purchase] with a couple of phone calls, paying $200 to a varsity football player. It was the sort of breakthrough that could take a pointy-headed newspaper treatise and make it touch people, win awards, effect change. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied journalism and public relations. How many varsity football players got calls for drug deals in their SAT prep class this year? Why would he use steroids? Bryan may be able to help, but dont contact him at school. She worried he would be labeled a snitch if it became a public ordeal. McClure said school officials held meetings and questioned students, but nobody admitted to using the muscle-building substances. GreatSchools Rating 5 reviews Awards Public school 1,974 Students Grades 9-12. I love them, they love me," Whitfield said in an interview with WFAA's Jason Whitely on the same day the students walked out of school to support him. Example video title will go here for this video. Just over a month later, the district has suspended Colleyville Heritage High School Principal James Whitfield without explanation, he told The Washington Post on Tuesday. She called a reporter at the weekly Colleyville Courier and told him her story. It was all there. (Everyone already knew, she says.) Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. And, of course, making everyone in town proud, which is what winning does. In May 2018, Dr. Ryan was named the 2018 Region XI Superintendent of the Year. The students named an adult with no ties to the school as the source of the substances. Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond. I do miss some of my friends from Heritage, he says. Bryan sat across from them, Lewis next to him. He was asked to remove photos from Facebook taken on a beach vacation with is wife, that some felt were inappropriate. EVEN THOUGH LEWIS HAD PULLED BRYAN out of school, he was still getting hassled. All that stuff I could handle, and I do handle, she says. Summarizing his defense, he finally blurted, Mom, the majority of the football team is taking them.. Lewis was convinced the tiny bottle held heroin, unaware that most illicit drugs are not sold with pharmaceutical labels. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands. She didnt take long to make her decision: Bring it on.. McClure said no school officials have been implicated in the matter. Its even tough to find a yardman in town. In the ensuing days, Whitfield found himself at the center of the debate over how race is taught in Texas schools. The vial had been photographed on Bryans glass dining room table, and the students were examining the fuzzy reflections in the glass to figure out whose house it was. Where were you when you first injected them? Bryan, three inches taller, popped him in the face. Kids need us! the principal added. They were changed to Patrick and Michelle. They had pieced together a clear picture of a serious problem. He sold her the needles.. The school district told KXAS in a statement: When a social media concern is brought to the attention of the district, we have a responsibility to review it. The school district has called the photos questionable for an educator, especially a principal or administrator, and they said it has nothing to do with race. Not one day has gone by that I havent had to deal with this or talk about it to someone. GRAPEVINE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A high school principal at the center of a controversy in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is now on administrative leave. While the status of this as an ongoing personnel matter limits the information that the District can disclose about the events leading up to this decision, the speculation and conjecture that surround these events warrant some additional context. It was also about keeping up with bitter enemies from Southlake Carroll, Grapevine, Keller, all the schools on the schedule. Hes a happily married man. It was supposed to be a celebration for Whitfield, who had just been named principal of Colleyville Heritage Middle School two years ago, and his family.