"I think it's sweet. Bryan is used to getting in trouble with his mom. Hate and #racism will not rule the day. 8:06 PM on Aug 30, 2021 CDT Updated at 1:21 PM on Sep 1, 2021 CDT. Lets go, then, he said. The district told WFAA again Friday that the decision has nothing to. 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. She didnt feel proud that shed proven the school wrong. 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. Some in the district have accused him of implementing critical race theory in the classroom. It would be my hope finally someone listens to the students because ultimately that's who we're here to serve. How long did you do it? Colleyville Heritage High School went on lockdown Tuesday afternoon, March 1. Texas high school accused of racism after holding Trump-themed rally Alphabet L - Z. lesli.ware@gcisd.net. Good Lord, Lewis thought. Its even tough to find a yardman in town. The man, Stetson Clark, narrowly lost a school board race in May to the incumbent, Becky St. John. There were several long pauses, she says. Whitfield wrote that the allegations were connected to a 2019 presentation he took part in as middle school principal on Breaking the Barriers that addressed peoples differences. On February 4, the Morning News dropped that bombshell and used quotes and information from their interviews with Lewis and Bryan. Then she reached inside and took hold of the vial. Officers were called around . Kids had easy access to steroids, athletes were using them, and high school administrators were in denial. at 7pm. He was just letting her know that he wasnt alone. Bryan never had to wonder whether his mom was engaged, as Dr. Phil likes to say. They were identified merely as the athlete and his mother.. (CHHS officials declined to speak with D Magazine.) Hes a happily married man. He has served 35 years in education, all in Texas, including as principal of Colleyville Heritage High School from 2004 to 2006. "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?' 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. 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. They were changed to Patrick and Michelle. (Everyone already knew, she says.) ", Grapevine-Colleyville ISD issued the following statement Monday. Bryan sat across from them, Lewis next to him. Colleyville Heritage High School in Colleyville, TX Black principal told to remove Facebook photo with white wife 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! 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. In a town like Colleyville, you cant tell anyone a secret you want kept. 972-983-4822 cell. This PTA does not endorse n See more 636 people like this 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. I wonder who it was.. But James Whitfield said he took it to mean the issue was he was in an interracial relationship. The driver said he was friends with one of the players who used steroids. 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. One section on the report's website was called "Colleyville Heritage's team secret". Grapevine-Colleyville ISD may decide his fate by Monday. The school district announced Monday,. She wants a million-five. Its pretty simple. We have established procedures for that which we are following.". Dr. James Whitfield has been promoted several times in the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD system. Texas school district suspends Black principal after critical race Colleyville Heritage High School principal James Whitfield has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials. 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's a happily married man. 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. 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. At that moment, it didnt seem like an earth-shattering admission. 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. When Ted Beal answered his phone that morning, September 23, the nightmare began for the CHHS administration. , Chris Cunningham says hes trying to do something about the problem so it doesnt happen again. Her son, a junior at Colleyville Heritage High School, had several such travel bags in his closet, but the others were all pressed flat, unused. Our membership goal is 1 voice for every student! CHHS Theatre Department Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. At a board meeting a few weeks before last weeks, the parent group accused Whitfield by name which is against school board meeting rules. He agreed not to name the family members. Lewis told Beal she was left with no choice but to take her story to the media. Im gonna beat your ass.. She tries to focus on the things shes helped accomplish. Dan Patrick has called it a ridiculous leftist narrative. Gov. On their cardboard, handmade wall, they wrote: 'Paid for by . CHHS PTSA Reflections Chair. Anna Caplan covers McKinney, Southlake, Grapevine and Colleyville. Colleyville Heritage, however, is the first school in the state to have multiple students admit to using steroids, said Kim Rogers, spokeswoman for the University Interscholastic League. This Houston rodeo food vendor wants you to eat his rattlesnake, Astros GM Dana Brown has more praise team's top prospect, Heres how you can watch 'Daisy Jones and the Six', Proposed Texas bill gives tax cuts to heterosexual families only, These bites won big at the Houston rodeo's foodie awards. But I didnt want any of this for Bryan, Lewis says. (Even though, technically, its in Euless.) He wants to play wide receiver. He knewfrom friends, from weight-room whispers, from his own two eyesthat many of the starters were accomplishing just that task with injected aid. It was from the Grapevine-Colleyville school district. Lewis pulled him out of CHHS and would soon enroll him in a nearby private school. Last Monday, August 23, students gathered at a school board meeting to express their support for Whitfield. 817-305-4717. First, she noticed the syringes. It read nandrolone decanoate.. A mother raising a teenage boy who decided to use steroids like too many kids do, or a football coach who didnt know? 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. Lt. Gov. It's something he and the district have denied. 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. "I chalk it up to educators are held to a different standard, unfortunately. Update: Revised at 9 p.m. with more information. 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. 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. 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. But as Lewis read it, she found something horrible. Sort of. I thought, Wow, that didnt work. Over time, Bryan began to trust them and open up. He knows its just because she loves him, but, damn, so many other kids get away with telling white lies, staying out late. 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?' She hurried downstairs and called the pharmacy at the nearby Walgreens. She went to sleep thinking it was the right thing to do. She called a reporter at the weekly Colleyville Courier and told him her story. Nine CHHS players have admitted to using steroids. 6 /10. 4:25 PM on Mar 1, 2022 CST Updated at 8:58 PM on Mar 1, 2022 CST. In December, however, nine students involved in football and other unspecified sports came forward and said they used steroids last spring. Hes not even playing football this year. He hung up. 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. She said the issue comes up informally "every time a professional athlete makes headlines" for steroid use. But that one sentence stuck with Lewis. 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.. Who knew? But he doesnt like it., When her son talks, she stares at him intently, looking for signs that hes upset or angry. / CBS Texas, UPDATE: Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Releases New Statement On Decision To Put Principal James Whitfield On Paid Administrative Leave. She laughs about it more than she complains. (817) 305-4700. Many in town obviously dont take the steroids problem seriously. Thats what everybody should be doing. 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. Copyright 2023, D Magazine Partners, Inc. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Colleyville Heritage High School Principal James Whitfield has faced sharp criticism from some parents who are accusing him of teaching critical race theory. ON FEBRUARY 12, A SATURDAY, LEWIS WALKED into a salon to have her hair done. Wed have to move if our names came out, she said.. So I wouldnt feel comfortable mowing your lawn.. The story said one boy admitted to using them. 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. 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. Shows are now Feb. 3 (Fri.), 4 (Sat. Colleyville Heritage High School 5401 Heritage Avenue Colleyville, TX 76034 P 817-305-4700 F 817-358-4765 Enjoy unlimited access to all of our incredible journalism, in print and digital. Never missed one, she says proudly. CHHS is a big school, with more than 2,200 students and an operating budget of $136.5 million for the. Do you value our journalism? I just want to get on with my life. Are insane ticket costs pricing Astros fans out of Opening Day? They had pieced together a clear picture of a serious problem. Check to be sure that email from abi@luhsd.net will come through. The Colleyville kids rarely venture far from home. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. All students and staff are safe, the school . And, of course, making everyone in town proud, which is what winning does. Nor was the decision made in response to allegations Dr. Whitfield was teaching Critical Race Theory, or because of the photos on his social media account that were brought to the attention of the District in 2019. "They did not feel there was a problem that we needed to look into," Rogers said. Our School - Colleyville Heritage High School But the moms wouldnt tell the other moms about it, because they want their kid to have an edge. Instead, a car slowly inched into the space next to him. Ive moved on. How many of them bought needles for players? It was the right thing to do. 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. The school and district officials dismissed the mother's claims, and the school's head football coach went as far calling her a "liar" in a Dallas Morning News interview. "Our lawyers are looking at it," she said. 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. But the reporters needed something else. They shouldnt be filing stupid lawsuits. 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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.. Im going to fight him.. The student came forward only after his mother discovered a bag full of syringes and vials of liquids in his bedroom closet. Thats how competitive it is.. He mentions a senior. He called a few buddies shortly before midnight and told them to meet him at Whataburger, one of the town hangouts. Colleyville players admit to briefly using steroids, Mayor: HISD has two optionsclose school or be taken over, Rare photos show 2 ocelots crossing South Texas road, Eric Gordon trade looking better and better for Houston Rockets, Willie Nelson pays lovely tribute to another country legend, Hiker takes 'once-in-a-lifetime' photo at Brazos Bend State Park, This Texas Hill Country town is the new, cooler Fredericksburg. No big deal, Bryan thought. But the students at CHHS had obviously read the story. When he decided not to play (and when he noticed acne on his back during the family vacation in Florida), he stopped. Aria writes about breaking news. In the ensuing days, Whitfield found himself at the center of the debate over how race is taught in Texas schools. That Friday after the story had come out, near midnight, Bryan got a call on his cell phone. He meant half the players who mattered were juicing. 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. For Lori Lewis is, if not a pariah in Colleyville, a shamed woman in the eyes of many who believe her campaign has unfairly smeared its high school, coach, and football program. 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. And even if the answer was all of them, how many had gone to Kroger and said she needed them for a horse? Dozens Of Colleyville Heritage High Students Rally In Support Of At least hes not a drug addict, she thought. By now, she had revealed her identity in subsequent newspaper stories. He says that many of the football players at Colleyville were introduced to steroids by someone from a nearby rival. 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. 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. The CHHS kids who posted to the Morning News steroids bulletin boards, saying everyone knew this was a problem, that it is still a problem. Lewis told Beal that her son had used steroids, that he obtained them from other kids on the team, that they got them from someone at the nearby Whataburger. Tarrant County pastors call for fair treatment of principal | Fort Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. 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. The driver, the stockiest of the bunch, rapped on Bryans window. Lawmakers eventually passed House Bill 3979, which restricts how teachers can discuss current events, encourage civic engagement and teach about Americas history of racism. McClure said the school began investigating the matter in October. I'm ready to turn that next page, Whitfield told The Texas Tribune on Wednesday. He hopes he starts, he says. As she waited, she overheard customers gabbing. But you figure theres a problem at the school, you call the school. He sold her the needles.. Dallas Cowboys want another playmaker on offense. GreatSchools Rating 5 reviews Awards Public school 1,974 Students Grades 9-12. I think its silly, I cant see why a husband and wife cant have a picture of them in a sweet moment, she said. (Cunningham says that at the time of the remarks, he didnt know Lewis identity, and he has since apologized.) There were four teenagers inside, two in the front seat, two in back. Can you take this picture down? August 30, 2021 / 5:42 PM "They're here to show their voice. But he said trouble began as far back as 2019 when someone complained to administrators he was setting a "bad example" by posting pictures of himself kissing his wife on Facebook. I cant run from this. Colleyville Heritage High Principal James Whitfield Placed On Paid Except for a few friends, he felt ostracized. The 18-year-old was arrested on charges of trespassing on school grounds and having a weapon in a place where its prohibited. When no one showed up, she called the owner to ask why. 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 is a public high school of the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District located in Colleyville, TX. She was still at her sales conference. Not Bryans. 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. 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. Hes just got to get a little faster, a little bigger, a little stronger. This year Colleyville Heritage High School found only 19 girls out of a school of 2,400 students good enough for their cheerleading squad. Colleyville Heritage High School (CHHS) is a public secondary school in Colleyville, Texas in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. With some of her neighbors not talking to her, she decided to take the next step. Lewis repeated that shed told him everything she knew. If you know that is on your trusted email list, contact your child's school office (Grade Level Learning Community, Building, or SLC) to have your email added to the system. Lewis is suing because Cunningham told the Morning News she was a liar and a crazy mom. Meanwhile, a petition in support of Whitfield has garnered hundreds of signatures, and he said hes humbled for all the support hes received. Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond. 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, 18-year-old man, student face charges after gun found in car at Colleyville Heritage High School, 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. 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 document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. About 20 showed up to the second meeting. She says she sued Coach Cunningham not just because she feels his remarks made life tough in Colleyville, but because she says she wants to be sure other schools will think twice before ignoring a whistle-blower. Lewis was dumbfounded. Some of the photos the district received contained poses that are questionable for an educator, especially a principal or administrator. Sports means everything to folks here, Bryan says. CHHS is a big school, with more than 2,200 students and an operating budget of $136.5 million for the past school year (although $44.1 million of that went to Robin Hood payments). Ive counted. Lewis begged him to calm down. 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.