A Texas high school principal was suspended Monday, according to the school district, following claims that he was teaching critical race theory to students.
Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District Superintendent Robin Ryan announced in a letter to parents that Colleyville Heritage High School Principal James Whitfield was placed on paid administrative leave. Whitfield said he was put on leave indefinitely “because the superintendent has ‘determined that doing so is in the best interest of the District.'”
Ryan did not offer specific details regarding the suspension because it “is an ongoing personnel matter.”
COLORADO SCHOOL DISTRICT BANS TEACHING OF CRITICAL RACE THEORY
The suspension comes a week after the principal addressed parents’ concerns at a school board meeting that he was teaching critical race theory.
Black school principal in Texas suspended after being accused of teaching critical race theory.
Which will definitely persuade people that systemic racism is not a thing https://t.co/dKbo0lfwIs pic.twitter.com/pAufnht1Zg
— Don Moynihan (@donmoyn) August 31, 2021
Parents accused Whitfield by name at the July 26 assembly, which violates board meeting rules, and the principal responded on social media days later.
“The last time I wasn’t here, someone was allowed to speak my name in public against the rules, and I think that’s what really disparaged my name,” Whitfield said about attending the school board meeting. “That group of people got the attention, so the students, the community, they said, ‘Let’s show up. Let’s let our voice be heard.'”
Critical race theory and related ideologies argue the United States is inherently racist and that skin color is used to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between white and nonwhite communities. Critics claim it delegates all white people to the role of oppressors and all people of color to victimhood.
“I am not the CRT (Critical Race Theory) Boogeyman,” he wrote on Facebook. “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.”
Parent group accuses Texas school’s first Black principal of teaching *CRT.* He’s now been put on indefinite leave. https://t.co/OiMW0YXRaB pic.twitter.com/LVbJpFqI2Y
— Jennifer Berkshire (@BisforBerkshire) August 31, 2021
Several Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials have said that critical race theory is not taught in the district’s schools.
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,” Ryan wrote to parents.
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Whitfield described his suspension as personal and said the district had offered little assistance.
“I have done nothing wrong by anyone,” he said. “[Instead of] issuing their support of me, they came after me.”
