colleyville heritage high school scandal

But that one sentence stuck with Lewis. At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our mission: creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. The architects of the theory argue that the United States was founded on the theft of land and labor and that federal law has preserved the unequal treatment of people on the basis of race. Tickets for cancelled shows will be honored at these performances. She didnt take long to make her decision: Bring it on.. Like most teens, he acts blas, even when talking about how much he cant wait for college so I can get away from this town, all the crap thats gone on., Not that hes obsessing about it, either, he says. Lewis was stunned. Well, Im a friend of Coach Cunninghams. An 18-year-old man and a juvenile student are facing criminal charges after a handgun was found inside a students car at Colleyville Heritage High School on Tuesday. 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. Among other things, SB 3 bans schools from making political activism part of a course and says teachers may not be compelled to talk about a widely debated and currently controversial issue of public policy or social affairs.. Also in the post, the principal referred to an incident in which a school administrator asked Whitfield to remove a photo of him and his wife, who is white, from his Facebook page. 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. For weeks, kids buzzed about who they thought might be the anonymous athlete caught using steroids. And the News reporters agreed that they wouldnt identify any of the other students who Bryan knew or suspected used steroids. District: Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District (ISD) SchoolDigger Rank: 370th of 1,876 Texas High Schools. By Hannah Natanson Photos and. 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. Officers were called around . Weve always been close, but since this, its been tough. Dan Patrick has called it a ridiculous leftist narrative. Gov. "I look at the picture, and I look at the words above it, and it says, 'Is this the Dr. Whitfield we want leading our schools?' Colleyville Heritage High School Principal James Whitfield has faced sharp criticism from some parents who are accusing him of teaching critical race theory. She demanded to know why he was taking steroids. 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. I dont think that was crazy.. In December, however, nine students involved in football and other unspecified sports came forward and said they used steroids last spring. She said that many other football players were using them, and her son told her that, because many players knew about it, the coaches either knew and didnt care or didnt want to know so they didnt ask how players had made sudden increases in strength and size. 5401 Heritage Ave, Colleyville, Texas | (817) 305-4700. Hate and #racism will not rule the day. Now, GOP lawmakers have turned their attention to what books children have access to in schools. Since then, the district has stressed the move has nothing to do. Hed been playing sports in Colleyville since tee ball at age 4, and through select baseball and Pee Wee football, all the way through this, his junior year, shed attended every game. He wrote on Facebook that he could not ask others to speak up if he wont and just because I am a school administrator that does not take away my rights and ability to be human and defend myself.. Unfortunately, it didnt work out that way.. Its a smart school, too, well above state and national averages in students ACT and SAT scores. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our incredible journalism, in print and digital. Theres SO much, but I am beyond humbled by the kindness, support, love, & encouragement being shown to me and my family, he said in a tweet. For nearly 10 years, she wrote restaurant reviews for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and her work has appeared in 360 West, Eater Dallas, Edible DFW, A+C magazine, D CEO, GlobeSt.com and Houstonia magazine. Who is available? According to their story, Cunningham went on a 15-minute rant and blamed the then-unidentified mother for creating this problem. Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond. Ive counted. He's a happily married man. Read more about CRT here. Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Superintendent Robin Ryan announced Whitfield was being placed on leave in a message to parents Monday. His resignation wont be official until Aug. 15, 2023. Colleyville Heritage High School is a public high school of the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District located in Colleyville, TX. James Whitfield - Colleyville Heritage High Principal (CBS 11), Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Releases New Statement On Decision To Put Principal James Whitfield On Paid Administrative Leave. Suite 2100 He wants to play wide receiver. Lewis wanted to get up and walk out, but she stayed put, stayed silent. Theyre mad at my mom because shes messing with that.. In early August, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD placed Whitfield on administrative leave. She was sad that shed been proven right. Im going to fight him.. She knew it would have to be this way. The titles in the list range from children's books and anti-bullying tips to novels that discuss racism and sexuality. Good Lord, Lewis thought. Greg Abbott has called for it to be abolished in Texas schools. He loves his new school. 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. The parents shes known since Bryan played tee ball with their kids a dozen years ago ignore her. Its been a roller coaster for him, she 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. 972-983-4822 cell. COLLEYVILLE HERITAGE. 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. As part of a settlement between Whitfield and the district, he will remain on paid administrative leave until then. The high school has been categorized as one of the top 100 high schools in the United States of America by the Newsweek magazine's Challenge Index. Theyre open late, they have cheap food, and theyre close by. I am the first African American to assume the role of Principal at my current school in its 25-year history, and I am keenly aware of how much fear this strikes in the hearts of a small minority who would much rather things go back to the way they used to be, he wrote. 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. Dallas, Texas 75201. 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The Grapevine-Colleyville district has taken no action against the students and is reviewing school policies to determine whether disciplinary action will be taken, she said. During the following months, the reporters put together their package of stories. No real names, anyway. Kids need us! the principal added. And it has nearly ruined their lives. A high school principal in Colleyville says his bosses ordered him to remove a photo of him embracing his wife from social media. This story has been shared 117,245 times. Too many of them are, but this one certainly is. Not one single day.. Check to be sure that email from abi@luhsd.net will come through. Texas Teacher of the Year keeps focus on students to drown out political noise, 'Its about a happy classroom': Garland ISD focusing on social emotional learning. Dec 29, 2022 The 2022-23 UIL high school soccer season officially starts today and the Star Telegram released its first soccer area rankings this week. "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.'". Lewis begged him to calm down. Dave Denning, a former Grapevine High School principal, will serve as interim leader of the campus, Ryan said. Bryan understands, she says. In a July 31 post on his personal Facebook page, Whitfield responded: "I am not the CRT (Critical Race Theory) Boogeyman. August 30, 2021 / 5:42 PM She opened it wide and turned it to the light. 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. 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.. About 20 showed up to the second meeting. GRAPEVINE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A high school principal at the center of a controversy in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is now on administrative leave. The University Interscholastic League, which sets rules for competition in Texas high school sports, has no policy on steroids. Some in the district have accused him of implementing critical race theory in the classroom. He rolled it down. On July 31, Whitfield responded to the claims in a lengthy Facebook post. She laughs about it more than she complains. It read nandrolone decanoate.. He agreed not to name the family members. Not Bryans. On the front page blared her sons story: Colleyville player says pressure to improve prompted steroid use.. Buy tickets online here. He came at him againObviously, Bryan says, this kid did not know how to fightand this time Bryans punch knocked him to the ground. When he decided not to play (and when he noticed acne on his back during the family vacation in Florida), he stopped. NO NAMES. Let your love shine so brightly & your positive voice be so loud that it drowns out the noise. This PTA does not endorse n See more 636 people like this 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. He knew where he was: at a party one block over. I wish I had the conviction to say, No, Im not going to take it down thats a picture of me and my wife kissing on the beach. Proponents also believe race is culturally invented, not biological. He sounded drunk. She expected to hear from him in a week or so. In June, Lewis scheduled to have her lawn mowed by a Mid Cities fireman who runs a small lawn-care company. He said he agreed to take some of the photos down. COLLEYVILLE - Nine Colleyville Heritage High School students involved in football and other athletics have admitted to using steroids, district officials said Friday. I thought, Wow, that didnt work. "The vast majority of people in that community, they know who I am. All rights reserved, Highlighter: North Texas Students Help NASA Scientists, Educational Trailers Stolen After Presentations at Dallas Schools, Novak Djokovic Denied' US Entry Ahead Of Indian Wells, Joe Biden Asked To Intervene, Counseling Services Offered After Three Children Killed, Two Hurt In Ellis County, Check Your Change! Sitting at her computer in her Mid Cities work cubicle, Lewis felt disheartened as she read the story. I am the first African American to assume the role of principal at my current school in its 25-year history, and I am keenly aware of how much fear this strikes in the hearts of a small minority who would much rather things go back to the way they used to be.". Join us today so we can achieve that goal! Dr. James Whitfield has been promoted several times in the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD system. 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. , Chris Cunningham says hes trying to do something about the problem so it doesnt happen again. 562. Lewis asked that Beal call her back when his investigation was finished. 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. It was at this moment that I knew the attack that we currently endure, was coming., In a statement to KXAS-TV (NBC5), the district said the photos it received contained poses that are questionable for an educator, especially a principal or administrator. [2] Colleyville Heritage High School celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2006. Aria has interned at the Austin American-Statesman, the Texas Tribune and the El Paso Times. 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. Its pretty simple. Lets go, then, he said. She was still at her sales conference. Colleyville Heritage High School 5401 Heritage Avenue Colleyville, TX 76034 P 817-305-4700 F 817-358-4765 Like Our Page on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Never missed one, she says proudly. "If they do proceed with firing him, I hope the administration knows that these people aren't going anywhere," fellow student Sunehra Chowdhury said of the students who walked out of class. 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?' They had pieced together a clear picture of a serious problem. It was, 'Hey, I am trying to avoid any conflict. CHHS is a big school, with more than 2,200 students and an operating budget of $136.5 million for the. 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. Updated at 1:12 p.m. Wednesday with details throughout. Dude, I think thats your mom.. Im gonna beat your ass.. In a town like Colleyville, you cant tell anyone a secret you want kept. We understand that members of our community have questions, but the District does not resolve personnel matters in the media. Kids had easy access to steroids, athletes were using them, and high school administrators were in denial. Youget home! she told him. 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. Lewis jumped in her car and raced the two miles to CHHS. Earlier this week, Abbott asked the Texas Education Agency, along with the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the State Board of Education, to develop statewide standards preventing "obscene content in Texas public schools.". They said, Could you take it down? "We don't know what report they're talking about," she said. Colleyville is a majority-white city with only 1% of residents identifying as Black or African American, according to census data. 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. A petition in support of Whitfield has hundreds of signatures, and he said he's humbled for the support he's received and regrets he held this in for so long. Beal asked her to come into the school for a talk. An anonymous parent called the high school and said football players were using steroids, which are illegal to use or possess in Texas without a prescription, and that the school's football coach condoned it. All that stuff I could handle, and I do handle, she says. But he doesnt like it., When her son talks, she stares at him intently, looking for signs that hes upset or angry. MOM ON A MISSION: Lewis (left) admits that if she had known how her city would turn against her, how her son Bryan (right) would be ostracized, how her actions would be second-guessed by the police, it would have made her think twice. Colleyville Heritage High School went on lockdown Tuesday afternoon, March 1. Focusing on unique things school districts are doing to help children succeed. A wave of nausea swept through her. Colleyville Heritage High School principal James Whitfield has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials. One section on the report's website was called "Colleyville Heritage's team secret". and I asked, 'Why? Theres not a steroids problem on his team.. Admitted it months earlier, not long after the journalists had interviewed Coach Cunningham. 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. My mom catches me at everything, Bryan says. You heard that story earlier tonight. THE SECRETARY AT COLLEYVILLE HERITAGE HIGH SCHOOL asked Lori Lewis for her sons last name. 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. Some parents from Colleyville Heritage learned of the photo incident after a lengthy social media post Whitfield made over the weekend about the accusations he's faced and the pressure he and his family have been under, including the frustration over the district asking him to take down the photo. The video was shot off campus and not during normal school hours.. When Bryan got to school on Monday, it didnt take long to see that his cover had been blown. A few days later, he dialed the players cell phone to arrange delivery, reaching him in an SAT preparation class.. The coach, Chris Cunningham, denied the accusations in reports published at the time and said he was adamantly against steroids. She didnt believe it. An 18-year-old man and a juvenile student are facing criminal charges after a handgun was found inside a student's car at Colleyville Heritage High School on Tuesday. First, she noticed the syringes. She said the issue comes up informally "every time a professional athlete makes headlines" for steroid use. Ive moved on. I just want to get on with my life. And when he went to his truck after school, there was a sheet of notebook paper under his windshield wiper with one word scrawled across it: SNITCH.. (Cunningham says that at the time of the remarks, he didnt know Lewis identity, and he has since apologized.) In hindsight, of course I should have just called them. A new study says yes. 817-305-4717. Colleyville Heritage 31 Arlington Heights 41 Final Box Score All Contest Videos Oct 15, 2022 @ 2:59am Texas: Defensive Touchdowns from Weekend of Oct 7th, 2022 Watch this highlight video More Videos Oct 14, 2022 @ 5:54pm Contribute to the Team Complete the Schedule Add missing games to the schedule Complete the Roster In GCISD, we calculate 3 different GPAs following the conclusion of each semester. Dallas Cowboys want another playmaker on offense. Lewis made it clear that they could not take her son out of class to talk to him. 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. Judges rejected so many of the girls that they did not have enough cheerleaders for a junior varsity squad this year. The school district announced Monday,. This year Colleyville Heritage High School found only 19 girls out of a school of 2,400 students good enough for their cheerleading squad. She went to sleep thinking it was the right thing to do. Colleyville Heritage High School Unclaimed. "As this is an ongoing personnel matter, we will not comment further. Note! Wed have to move if our names came out, she said.. Jones and Jacobson, sick that theyd inadvertently revealed Bryans identity, suggested that the papers lawyers could convince the school district to pay for Bryans tuition. He decided in the summer to concentrate on baseball. Gregg Jones and Gary Jacobson sat at Lewis kitchen table, in her upper-middle-class, redbrick home, on a quiet street in Colleyville, and grilled the mother and son for hours, during several interview sessions. From the moment I called the school, I didnt want him involved. He was asked to remove photos from Facebook taken on a beach vacation with is wife, that some felt were inappropriate. In his post Saturday, Whitfield explained that the photos were taken a decade ago during their 10-year anniversary in Mexico. One of those parents complained. Where did you get them? How did you get the syringes? Can you take this picture down? No one from above ever mentioned anything else about it, but the damage was inflicted on us in profound ways, he wrote. I am the first African American to assume the role of Principal at my current school in its 25-year history, and I am keenly aware of how much fear this strikes in the hearts of a small minority who would much rather things go back to the way they used to be, he wrote. They needed more information. Hes a happily married man. The district told WFAA again Friday that the decision has nothing to. It's he and his beautiful wife, they have a beautiful family," said Sunni Roppollo, who has children at Colleyville Heritage High. 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. In response to written questions from Jones and Jacobson, the district acknowledged that nine CHHS football players, eight seniors and one junior, had admitted to using steroids. She tries to focus on the things shes helped accomplish. The move comes a week after the principal and a crowd of supporters attended a school board meeting to address claims from a group of parents who say he is teaching critical race theory. "The only mention we make is a warning on health effects on our Web site," she said.