Well, Im a friend of Coach Cunninghams. By Hannah Natanson Photos and. Lets go, then, he said. Lewis pulled him out of CHHS and would soon enroll him in a nearby private school. 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. Is Whataburger healthy? Lesli Ware. Aria writes about breaking news. But other than that, its great. For weeks, kids buzzed about who they thought might be the anonymous athlete caught using steroids. The school district announced Monday,. "They said, 'Could you take it down? Hey, you little pussy, he said. Colleyville Heritage High School - Colleyville, Texas - TX | GreatSchools I just want to know, Why? Contact info. Stressed over the accusations, Whitfield said he couldn't shake the photo incident of 2019 from his head and the district's conclusion the photo was inappropriate. 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. "I think it's sweet. He just wants to enjoy his senior year, and I want to do everything I can to help him., But, she says, she believes she has a mission. 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. As part of a settlement between Whitfield and the district, he will remain on paid administrative leave until then. Because even though Lewis did the right thing, and even though she took every measure to protect her sons identity when she made that call and then later took her story to the media, it is Bryan who ultimately paid the price for his moms principled stand. All four got out of the car. They said, Could you take it down? Colleyville is a Yuppie burb, sure, with a median home price of $335,000, but it is affluence packed on top of a former tiny farming community, a fine cloth draped over an old couch. Colleyville High School Principal Says He Expelled Gay Student Because The one thing that bothers Lewis is how this has affected her family. 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.. Why should my kid be drug-tested just because you cant control yours?. Colleyville Heritage High School (CHHS) is a public secondary school in Colleyville, Texas in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. But no names were used. He pulled forward into a parking space and waited on his friends, hoping everyone else would ignore him. It centers on the idea that racism is systemic in the nations institutions and that they function to maintain the dominance of white people in society. Students held walkout in support of Colleyville Heritage HS principal She knew he didnt mean that literally more than half the Colleyville football team was on steroids. She was the founding editor of the websites PureWow Dallas and Racked Dallas. Nov. 10, 20215 PM Central. Update: Revised at 9 p.m. with more information. "What he's done is said listen, we teach lots of different types of kids. The school district announced Monday, August 30, Colleyville Heritage High Principal Dr. James Whitfield was placed on paid administrative leave. But the reporters needed something else. 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. Texas High School Principal Sees Racism in Calls to Remove Intimate Colleyville Heritage High School in Colleyville, TX - US News Best High Faking it wasnt easy. In the minds of many, she carries with her the scarlet S affixed to those in small towns, suburban or rural, who dont honor the sanctity of high school football: snitch, squealer, sinner. A high school principal in Colleyville says his bosses ordered him to remove a photo of him embracing his wife from social media. Bryan knew who it was. Do you value our journalism? Some of the photos the district received contained poses that are questionable for an educator, especially a principal or administrator. 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. Instead of issuing their support of me, they came after me, he said. Updated at 1:12 p.m. Wednesday with details throughout. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Im used to it.. Thank you for spreading love! And while her son was fighting his battles, Lewis was fighting hers. He marched into his mothers room and paced in front of her. Thats it? Anna Caplan, Special Contributor. It had absolutely nothing to do with race. Beal said she was not cooperating. Can you take this picture down? 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? I showed it to my wife, who immediately begins to well up with tears, said Whitfield, adding that he took it to mean that he was being criticized for being in an interracial relationship. 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. Colleyville Heritage High School - Wikipedia Who knew? Bryan sat across from them, Lewis next to him. 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 . Im gonna kick your ass.. When the kids get to middle school, a lot of them go to sports camps in the summer to improve. Not quoted are the audible giggles of news anchor Gloria Campos: The mother who helped uncover the steroid use at Colleyville Heritage High School, Lori Lewis, is suing football coach Chris Cunningham. 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. Now, GOP lawmakers have turned their attention to what books children have access to in schools. Dr. James Whitfield has been on administrative leave since late August. Whitfield added that he has no regrets over what has transpired over the last couple of months, hes happy that he stood up for what he believed in and he hopes thats what people can learn from his situation. Some in the district have accused him of implementing critical race theory in the classroom. She laughs about it more than she complains. She makes mention of that one time someone said or did something to her daughter relating to the steroids backlash, but when I ask about it, she says she wont talk about it. Colleyville Heritage High School. and I asked, 'Why? One of the students was detained on a charge of having a weapon in a place where its prohibited, police said. You heard that story earlier tonight. 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.. Colleyville Heritage High School Principal James Whitfield has faced sharp criticism from some parents who are accusing him of teaching critical race theory. But on the other hand, if you can get a million-five from everyone who says youre a liar and youre crazy, then Im gonna get me a lawyer, and Im gonna be a rich man., EVERYONE IS MAD AT LORI LEWIS these days, either for suing the high school football coach or for not keeping her mouth shut in the first place. Lewis begged him to calm down. And, of course, making everyone in town proud, which is what winning does. Former principal files defamation lawsuit against Grapevine-Colleyville So I wouldnt feel comfortable mowing your lawn.. ), & 6 (Mon.) 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. The agreement seemingly puts an end to Whitfields arduous battle with the school district that date backs to July 26, when he was first accused of teaching critical race theory during a Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District school board meeting by Stetson Clark, a former candidate for the district's school board. When Lori Lewis learned that many players on her sons Colleyville Heritage football team were using steroids, she blew the whistle. Tarrant County pastors call for fair treatment of principal | Fort Colleyville Heritage High School is a public high school of the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District located in Colleyville, TX. Arent they illegal now? LIVE: Colleyville Heritage vs. Grapevine | 2023 High School Soccer District: Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District (ISD) SchoolDigger Rank: 370th of 1,876 Texas High Schools. Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Trustees Vote to Move Forward With Process of All students and staff are safe, the school . Copyright 2023, D Magazine Partners, Inc. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 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. Hes just got to get a little faster, a little bigger, a little stronger. In a town like Colleyville, you cant tell anyone a secret you want kept. There were also names. 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. Bryan is used to getting in trouble with his mom. Whitfield is now speaking out about the incident and responding to what he claims are bigoted and racist attacks, including accusations that he is a proponent of critical race theory. Too many of them are, but this one certainly is. They had a problem and needed to know about it, for the kids safety. Lewis was dumbfounded. The reporters worked other sources. Colleyville Heritage (CHHS) Lady Panthers Soccer's Tweets - Twitter Lt. Gov. Whitfield's wife Kerrie said she took the photo to mean a black man with a tattoo on his arm was inappropriate. Its been a roller coaster for him, she says. By about 6 p.m., all students had been dismissed and all buses had left the campus, according to the school district. In December, however, nine students involved in football and other unspecified sports came forward and said they used steroids last spring. It was also about keeping up with bitter enemies from Southlake Carroll, Grapevine, Keller, all the schools on the schedule. 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. Lewis asked that Beal call her back when his investigation was finished. Sports means everything to folks here, Bryan says. No big deal, Bryan thought. Since then, the district has stressed the move has nothing to do. Anna Caplan covers McKinney, Southlake, Grapevine and Colleyville. THEATRE DEPARTMENT. The Colleyville kids rarely venture far from home. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Check to be sure that email from abi@luhsd.net will come through. 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. When Bryan got to school on Monday, it didnt take long to see that his cover had been blown. 8:06 PM on Aug 30, 2021 CDT Updated at 1:21 PM on Sep 1, 2021 CDT. A few days later, he dialed the players cell phone to arrange delivery, reaching him in an SAT preparation class.. The e-mails from parents who say they are too scared to be named publicly but who thank her for shaking up the CHHS administration and mighty football program. She couldnt even get her grass cut? According to state test scores, 55% of students are at least proficient in math and 77% in reading. The misspelled word had two arrows drawn toward it for emphasis. She said the issue comes up informally "every time a professional athlete makes headlines" for steroid use. It has 2,123 students in grades 9th through 12th. You may need to show identification if this was not done at walk-thru. "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.'". Bryan, three inches taller, popped him in the face. 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. 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 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. "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. CHHS PTSA - Facebook He hopes he starts, he says. Read more about CRT here. Theyre open late, they have cheap food, and theyre close by. 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? 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. Wed have to move if our names came out, she said.. 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?' Later, they showed Bryan the list. Hes been up at his schools weight room with other athletes, cleaning the mats, spray-painting the weights, putting the gym junk away. Our membership goal is 1 voice for every student! 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. Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District - Wikipedia I think it's silly, I can't see why a husband and wife can't have a picture of them in a sweet moment.". According to their story, Cunningham went on a 15-minute rant and blamed the then-unidentified mother for creating this problem. James Whitfield chose to resign from his position as principal of Colleyville Heritage High School and the school board unanimously accepted on Monday. Texas high school principal and district agree to part ways after he I thought, Wow, that didnt work. The theory's central idea is that racism is not something restricted to individuals, but that bias is something embedded in policies and legal systems. My mom catches me at everything, Bryan says. Cooper vs. Colleyville Heritage - Texas High School Girls Basketball School would be out soon. He meant half the players who mattered were juicing. EVEN THOUGH LEWIS HAD PULLED BRYAN out of school, he was still getting hassled. The driver came after him. Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond. People leave me alone. We remain committed to providing a learning environment that fosters and encourages student academic and extracurricular achievement, Ryan wrote. GPA/Ranking - Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School - SharpSchool Feb. 5, 2005. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Not one single day.. Focusing on unique things school districts are doing to help children succeed. Who is available? Only one. 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. It was from the Grapevine-Colleyville school district. "We don't make rules unless we're asked by our member schools.". They know.. 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. Colleyville Heritage High School Unclaimed. Colleyville Heritage High School (TX) Varsity Basketball - MaxPreps.com Can you hide it? and I asked, Why? 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. As she waited, she overheard customers gabbing. Oh, that. In hindsight, of course I should have just called them. Texas school district suspends Black principal after critical race At least hes not a drug addict, she thought. We hid the photo, no one from above ever mentioned anything else about it, but the damage was inflicted on us in profound ways. Only 22,000 people live in Colleyville. ABSENCES. She called a reporter at the weekly Colleyville Courier and told him her story. Then, one evening the Courier reporter called Lewis and asked if he could pass along her phone number to two reporters with the Dallas Morning News who were working on a series of stories examining steroid use in high schools all across North Texas. He wants to play wide receiver. Our School - Colleyville Heritage High School It was a football player. CHHS is a big school, with more than 2,200 students and an operating budget of $136.5 million for the. Dallas, Texas 75201. No, it didnt. Sort of. This is how competitive it is in this town, Lewis says, smiling. COLLEYVILLE - Nine Colleyville Heritage High School students involved in football and other athletics have admitted to using steroids, district officials said Friday. 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. What's wrong with the picture?' Are ticket costs pricing Houston Astros fans out of Opening Day? Meanwhile, a petition in support of Whitfield has garnered hundreds of signatures, and he said hes humbled for all the support hes received. But the moms wouldnt tell the other moms about it, because they want their kid to have an edge. Colleyville Heritage High School 5401 Heritage Avenue Colleyville, TX 76034 P 817-305-4700 F 817-358-4765 What did you expect him to say? Dr. James Whitfield, the former principal at Colleyville Heritage High School, filed a $250,000 defamation lawsuit against Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District and board member Tammy . I think its sweet. Catherine Marfin, Breaking News Reporter. The driver, the stockiest of the bunch, rapped on Bryans window. Cunningham wants to know, Why now? Thats what everybody should be doing. In May 2018, Dr. Ryan was named the 2018 Region XI Superintendent of the Year. They shouldnt be filing stupid lawsuits. The decision. . He hung up. Dr. James Whitfield has been promoted several times in the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD system. Where did you get them? [2] Colleyville Heritage High School celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2006. THOSE WERE THE GROUND RULES, never in question, always understood. Live. 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. 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. Not Bryans. Lewis made it clear that they could not take her son out of class to talk to him. At that moment, it didnt seem like an earth-shattering admission. Dozens Of Colleyville Heritage High Students Rally In Support Of After months of trying, Jones and Jacobson finally interviewed coach Chris Cunningham, who declined to talk to D Magazine through a spokeswoman and through his lawyers. 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. Bryan, afraid that someone inside had called the police, did the same. 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. The foursome scrambled back into their car and took off. I knew it as soon as I finished the story. Trump 'wall' gag at Texas high school prompts Twitter outrage - Chron They werent snitches. But that one sentence stuck with Lewis. Im going to fight him.. Some of the photos the district received contained poses that are questionable for an educator, especially a principal or administrator. 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. Hate and #racism will not rule the day. One of those parents complained. 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. Attendance Clerk. Her discovery. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Colleyville players admit to briefly using steroids - Chron 4:25 PM on Mar 1, 2022 CST Updated at 8:58 PM on Mar 1, 2022 CST. A few parents blamed Lewis for making this an issue. Besides, she said. I dont think that was crazy.. Theres not a steroids problem on his team.. Alphabet L - Z. lesli.ware@gcisd.net. (Everyone already knew, she says.) (Cunningham says that at the time of the remarks, he didnt know Lewis identity, and he has since apologized.) 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.". That evening, she obsessed about its implication. With some of her neighbors not talking to her, she decided to take the next step. CHHS has several sub-administrators who are given students to oversee based on last name. Texas high school accused of racism after holding Trump-themed rally Can you take this picture down? That was months ago. Calendar - Colleyville Heritage High School 562. GRAPEVINE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A high school principal at the center of a controversy in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is now on administrative leave. All that stuff I could handle, and I do handle, she says. "We're talking about a very short period, weeks," district spokeswoman Robin McClure said. Lewis jumped in her car and raced the two miles to CHHS. Greg Abbott has called for it to be abolished in Texas schools. His resignation won't be official. CNN A high school principal in North Texas who was placed on leave after being publicly accused of promoting critical race theory has agreed to leave his role. Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District. 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. He took notes: Most Football Team taking SteroidsSon Played last yearCoach CunninghamSon Plays [blacked out]*Anomysly*. In February 2005, The Dallas Morning News published an in-depth report entitled "The Secret Edge", a look at the topic of steroids in high school sports. 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 Normally, the school dismisses at 4 p.m., a district spokesman said, but around 5:15 p.m. the district tweeted that it was doing a controlled dismissal of all students.. Worst Outdoor Clothing Brands, Articles C
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