In the ensuing days, Whitfield found himself at the center of the debate over how race is taught in Texas schools. 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?' Heritage High School ", "Nothing he's done has anything to do with critical race theory," said civil rights attorney David Henderson ofEllwanger Law, which is supporting Whitfield. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. I'm ready to turn that next page, Whitfield told The Texas Tribune on Wednesday. Not one day has gone by that I havent had to deal with this or talk about it to someone. Do you value our journalism? She tries to focus on the things shes helped accomplish. NO NAMES. Carroll ISD punishing teens seen in racist online video - FOX 4 News Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Superintendent Robin Ryan announced Whitfield was being placed on leave in a message to parents Monday. If I called your boss and said your kids and their friends are using drugs, my kid says youre looking the other way and not doing anything about it and thats not true, what would you say? He sounded drunk. Colleyville Heritage High School - Wikipedia She demanded to know why he was taking steroids. She opened it wide and turned it to the light. This story has been shared 117,245 times. Compare Colleyville Heritage High School to Other Schools gcisd-k12.org Attendance Office - Colleyville Heritage High School The video was shot off campus and not during normal school hours.. 562. She says she has had to endure the communitys anger despite what should have been ample vindication: the Dallas Morning News, in an ongoing and exhaustive investigative series, has proven that steroids use in North Texas high schools is greater than many want to believe. Sort of. Black principal told to remove Facebook photo with white wife Colleyville Heritage High School PTSA - Home Page Then on July 26 of this year, a former school board candidate named Stetson Clark stepped up to the microphone during a public comment period to accuse Whitfield of being an advocate for critical race theory: the idea that racism runs deep and continues to shape American society today. It was too quiet, she says. Who is available? No one from the school called her. Colleyville Heritage High School principal James Whitfield has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials. A mother raising a teenage boy who decided to use steroids like too many kids do, or a football coach who didnt know? She called a reporter at the weekly Colleyville Courier and told him her story. Hes not even playing football this year. But the moms wouldnt tell the other moms about it, because they want their kid to have an edge. McClure said no school officials have been implicated in the matter. by Brian Lopez Colleyville Heritage High School Unclaimed. Hes a happily married man. The tough drug-testing program that Grapevine-Colleyville has adopted. The story was long, one of several the Morning News would run that week concerning steroid use. The CHHS teacher who cornered her in the parking lot after the second public hearing and told her many teachers supported her but were afraid to speak out. District Calls Anniversary Photo of High School Principal and His Wife I do miss some of my friends from Heritage, he says. She is suing the coach and the school district for $1.5 million because Cunningham said Lewis was a liar and crazy in an interview with the News. Tarrant County pastors call for fair treatment of principal | Fort And it has nearly ruined their lives. Love will! The one thing that bothers Lewis is how this has affected her family. I think its silly, I cant see why a husband and wife cant have a picture of them in a sweet moment, she said. The story said one boy admitted to using them. Dallas Cowboys want another playmaker on offense. It was a football player. The answer, anabolic steroids, provided a bit of relief. Colleyville Heritage High School in Colleyville, TX - Niche Unfortunately, it didnt work out that way.. Rogers said the organization surveyed districts across the state in fall 2002 and asked whether they saw a need for rules on steroids or a program of steroid testing. One of the students was detained on a charge of having a weapon in a place where its prohibited, police said. LIVE: Colleyville Heritage vs. Grapevine | 2023 High School Soccer - YouTube Premieres in 4 hours February 21 at 4:00 PM Rice Memorial vs. Colchester | 2023 High School Boys Basketball. A wave of nausea swept through her. I think its sweet. Even though it was approved by the district, the presentation was used to vilify my colleagues and me, he wrote. "We don't make rules unless we're asked by our member schools.". Over the next year, he wants to work closely with educators and students, especially helping teachers who are fearful that what happened to him will happen to them. His decision. They were identified merely as the athlete and his mother.. The 18-year-old was arrested on charges of trespassing on school grounds and having a weapon in a place where its prohibited. Hes on his third cycle.. Whitfield, who was named principal of Colleyville Heritage High School ahead of the 2020-21 school year, has been accused online and in board meetings of teaching critical race theory and promoting a belief that white people are inherently racist. A black high school principal in Texas said he was told by a district official to remove an anniversary photo from Facebook of himself kissing his white wife so as not to stir up stuff amid complaints from parents, according to reports. But if were really concerned about reputations here, whose reputation has been damaged more? 972-983-4822 cell. But as Lewis read it, she found something horrible. Anybody really believe that? 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. 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. ", Grapevine-Colleyville ISD issued the following statement Monday. She wants a million-five. Lewis was convinced the tiny bottle held heroin, unaware that most illicit drugs are not sold with pharmaceutical labels. Officers were called around . Admitted it months earlier, not long after the journalists had interviewed Coach Cunningham. In May 2018, Dr. Ryan was named the 2018 Region XI Superintendent of the Year. (Even though, technically, its in Euless.) She couldnt even get her grass cut? At Colleyville Heritage High, students rushed to defend James Whitfield, who has been accused of embracing critical race theory and is in danger of being fired. They asked Bryan to relive every detail. GRAPEVINE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Dozens of students and parents rallied outside Grapevine-Colleyville ISD's school board meeting Monday night, August 23, to show support for Colleyville. Critical race theory is a way of thinking about Americas history through the lens of racism. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands. Butbefore he could pop open the champagne his boss called and asked him to check his email. ON FEBRUARY 12, A SATURDAY, LEWIS WALKED into a salon to have her hair done. Why did you stop?Jones and Jacobson, top-notch investigative reporters, had been working on a series of stories about steroid abuse in area high schools. Anna Caplan, Special Contributor. They had the Courier article spread out, and several people were closely eyeing the photo accompanying the story. Calendar - Colleyville Heritage High School She told the pharmacist she needed to vaccinate a horse. Colleyville Heritage High School in Colleyville, TX They could not tell anyone her identityor else, as she put it, I will sue you. Given the extreme care administrators used with her identity in e-mail correspondence during the next few months (obtained by D Magazine), they took her threat seriously. Lewis didnt want to confront Bryan in front of his friends. 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. He says that many of the football players at Colleyville were introduced to steroids by someone from a nearby rival. In hindsight, of course I should have just called them. Lewis is suing because Cunningham told the Morning News she was a liar and a crazy mom. 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. James Whitfield chose to resign from his position as principal of Colleyville Heritage High School and the school board unanimously accepted on Monday. At a board meeting a few weeks before last weeks, the parent group accused Whitfield by name which is against school board meeting rules. They even went to football games, sat in the stands, and made a list of the players who looked like they might be using steroids, based on the common signs: acne, muscular definition, rage. 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And during the second special session, lawmakers successfully passed Senate Bill 3, a more restrictive version of the House bill that will replace HB 3979 on Dec. 2. Critical race theory, or CRT, is an academic discipline usually taught at the university level. She laughs about it more than she complains. He pulled forward into a parking space and waited on his friends, hoping everyone else would ignore him. Colleyville Heritage became the focus of a district investigation during the 2004-2005 school year after a Panther football/baseball player and his mother confronted school administrators and GCISD about his use of performance-enhancing drugs. Aria has interned at the Austin American-Statesman, the Texas Tribune and the El Paso Times. , Chris Cunningham says hes trying to do something about the problem so it doesnt happen again. In GCISD, we calculate 3 different GPAs following the conclusion of each semester. The scandal at CHHS, as well as the well-publicized suicide of a student-athlete in Plano, Texas resulted in the implementation of random drug testing by the University Interscholastic League in 2007. The parents shes known since Bryan played tee ball with their kids a dozen years ago ignore her. Mom, Im going over there. Had it come to that? MLB legend makes surprise appearance at Astros' Spring Training, Houston is ugly, and I've never felt more at home, Texas A&M upset win clears path for UH to snag top overall seed, This is what Houston looks like from space, Oops! COLLEYVILLE, Texas The embattled principal of Colleyville Heritage High School is expected to learn his employment fate this coming Monday. She knew the pettiness would get worse once she filed the lawsuit. ), & 6 (Mon.) Weve always been close, but since this, its been tough. ", "Anything that has to do with being inclusive, having a safe and nurturing environment for all students, they want to attach that to CRT, because it's the boogeyman buzzword of the day," added Whitfield. If a student must be absent from school a parent should call or email the school Attendance Office, the day of the absence, to report the student's name and the reason. Colleyville Heritage High School principal James Whitfield has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Grapevine-Colleyville . The Colleyville kids rarely venture far from home. That kid will know who Patrick is. When the kids get to middle school, a lot of them go to sports camps in the summer to improve. The school district announced Monday,. The Grapevine-Colleyville ISD school board voted unanimously on a proposal Monday not to renew the contract of suspended Heritage High School principal James Whitfield. While at UT, Catherine served as managing editor of The Daily Texan, UT's student paper, and interned at the Texas Tribune and Houston Chronicle. The coaches had told him to get bigger and stronger if he wanted to earn a starting position, he said. The professionally shot photos, which were provided to People magazine by the Grapevine-Colleyville school district, show the couple in an intimate pose on a beach. He took notes: Most Football Team taking SteroidsSon Played last yearCoach CunninghamSon Plays [blacked out]*Anomysly*. Mother and son had always been close, though. The Tarrant County Narcotics Unit, now working the steroids investigation, told Lewis that her first call should have been to them months ago. When Ted Beal answered his phone that morning, September 23, the nightmare began for the CHHS administration. 6 /10. Update: Revised at 9 p.m. with more information. Aug. 5, 2021 In June 2019, shortly after James Whitfield, a Black educator, was hired as the principal of a middle school in Colleyville, Texas, an administrator with the school district. This year Colleyville Heritage High School found only 19 girls out of a school of 2,400 students good enough for their cheerleading squad. 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. Attendance Clerk. It wont change anything. He hung up. My friends are used to it. Colleyville Heritage principal responds to 'racism and bigotry' | Fort 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 the middle school. Welcome to the Colleyville Heritage PTSA Facebook Page intended to keep our parents, teachers, and students current on upcoming events and opportunities CHHS PTA is a noncommercial, nonsectarian, nonpartisan association that does not endorse any candidate or political party. Because the use took place away from school and in the off-season, when it was not related to a school activity, it is unclear whether any school policies have been violated, McClure said. Bryan, three inches taller, popped him in the face. They had to get everything ready for when they return after the summer, when Bryan plans to go out for the varsity team. He was asked to remove photos from Facebook taken on a beach vacation with is wife, that some felt were inappropriate. Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. He marched into his mothers room and paced in front of her. But that one sentence stuck with Lewis. James Whitfield, who was named Colleyville Heritage High School's first African-American principal in 2020, posted that during the July 26 board meeting, he was publicly named and accused of . This is how competitive it is in this town, Lewis says, smiling. Trump 'wall' gag at Texas high school prompts Twitter outrage - Chron 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. Three of his best friends have transferred to it in the past few years, so he has his core group of buddies together. He sold her the needles.. Public school 1,974 Students Grades 9-12. Arent they illegal now? Youget home! she told him. Bryan knew who it was. There were also names. He looked online and immediately saw a photo of him and his wife on the beach -- a photo shot by a professional photographer on their anniversary. Only one. Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District - Wikipedia First, she noticed the syringes. She went to sleep thinking it was the right thing to do. Some of the photos the district received contained poses that are questionable for an educator, especially a principal or administrator.