No real names, anyway. He said the district wouldn't tell him why. Colleyville Heritage High School (TX) Varsity Basketball Colleyville Heritage Panthers Varsity Boys Basketball Colleyville, TX 22-23 V. Basketball Home Schedule Roster Standings Rankings Photos Videos News More / Colleyville Heritage High School Basketball Colleyville Heritage Basketball OVERALL 22-10 0.69 Win % DISTRICT 9-5 4th in District 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 . Three of his best friends have transferred to it in the past few years, so he has his core group of buddies together. We remain committed to providing a learning environment at Colleyville Heritage that fosters and encourages student academic and extracurricular achievement," Grapevine-Colleyville ISD said in a news release. The coach, Chris Cunningham, denied the accusations in reports published at the time and said he was adamantly against steroids. 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. Not Bryans. 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. They were identified merely as the athlete and his mother.. Bryan knew who it was. One day in the lunchroom, Bryan walked up to a group of students gathered around a table. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied journalism and public relations. HERE IS PART OF ABC CHANNEL 8 SPORTS director Dale Hansens on-air editorial from April 19, the day Lewis filed a lawsuit against Coach Chris Cunningham for slander, asking for $1.5 million in damages. I have done nothing wrong by anyone, Whitfield said. Bryan got out and starting jawing with him. My mom catches me at everything, Bryan says. The high school has about 2,000 students in ninth through 12th grades. Lewis was dumbfounded. 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. Colleyville Heritage High School 5401 Heritage Avenue Colleyville, TX 76034 P 817-305-4700 F 817-358-4765 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. Nov. 10, 20215 PM Central. In a Sept. 1 written statement the district said: "The District has received numerous questions regarding the decision to place Dr. James Whitfield on paid administrative leave. The University Interscholastic League, which sets rules for competition in Texas high school sports, has no policy on steroids. James Whitfield, the first Black principal at mostly white Colleyville Heritage High School, chose to resign but remain on paid administrative leave until 2023 in a settlement with the school district. Nine CHHS players have admitted to using steroids. I thought, Wow, that didnt work. Grapevine-Colleyville sources have said that the district does not teach CRT, a doctrine that pushes the notion that racism underpins Americas history, laws and institutions, according to the Dallas Morning News. During the following months, the reporters put together their package of stories. This is how competitive it is in this town, Lewis says, smiling. Heritage Elementary School 4500 Heritage Avenue Colleyville, TX 76034 Eagle 1991 507 Bransford Elementary School 601 Glade Road . What's wrong with the picture?' One section on the report's website was called "Colleyville Heritage's team secret". It was supposed to be a celebration for Whitfield, who had just been named principal of Colleyville Heritage Middle School two years ago, and his family. Cunningham has apologized and said it was wrong to say the things he did, but I think anybody would have reacted the same way. 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. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. The paper sent a photographer, who took a picture of the vial of steroids, commonly known as Deca. And the story ran on the front page of the Courier on October 1, under a three-column headline that read: Steroid Use Suspected in Some Area Schools., The impact on the administration was less than shed hoped. "They're here to show their voice. Not Lewis. The school is a part of the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District and serves freshmen through senior students in Colleyville and the surrounding areas of Tarrant County. Oh, that. Twitter Fam, Youve probably seen #IStandwithDrWhitfield coming across your timeline, wondering what on earth is going on. On February 4, the Morning News dropped that bombshell and used quotes and information from their interviews with Lewis and Bryan. Lewis jumped in her car and raced the two miles to CHHS. Contact info. "Because of his extreme views I ask that a full review of Mr. Whitfield's tenure in our district be examined and that his contract be terminated effective immediately," said Clark, who lost a recent campaign to join the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD school board. She didnt feel proud that shed proven the school wrong. 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? The Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District, a wealthy suburban district northeast of Fort Worth, said eight seniors and one junior admitted using the performance-enhancing drugs for a short period last spring. Love will! 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. Lewis didnt want to confront Bryan in front of his friends. 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. All she does is shake her head and say, The parents in this town Shes already seen how it has enveloped Bryan. It was also about keeping up with bitter enemies from Southlake Carroll, Grapevine, Keller, all the schools on the schedule. Whitfield's status with Colleyville Heritage High School is expected to be decided at a Monday school board meeting. No spam, ever. Colleyville Heritage High School principal James Whitfield has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials. Ive told you everything I know. Lesli Ware. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 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. Lewis hung up. That was months ago. 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. Im gonna beat your ass.. Compare Colleyville Heritage High School to Other Schools gcisd-k12.org Colleyville Heritage High School's new principal, Dr. James Whitfield, is now speaking out saying he wishes he could've taken more of a stand in 2019 after his photo first stirred up. It's he and his beautiful wife, they have a beautiful family," said Sunni Roppollo, who has children at Colleyville Heritage High. Lewis decided that she had an obligation to inform the school. By about 6 p.m., all students had been dismissed and all buses had left the campus, according to the school district. Thats how competitive it is.. How many of them bought needles for players? (Even though, technically, its in Euless.) We remain committed to providing a learning environment that fosters and encourages student academic and extracurricular achievement, Ryan wrote. Kids need us! the principal added. She expected to hear from him in a week or so. 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. The district had no additional comments Monday night because it is an ongoing personnel matter, a spokeswoman said in a prepared statement. Im used to it.. Mother and son had always been close, though. Do you value our journalism? Lewis made it clear that they could not take her son out of class to talk to him. Colleyville Heritage High School Principal James Whitfield has faced sharp criticism from some parents who are accusing him of teaching critical race theory. Over time, Bryan began to trust them and open up. Copyright 2023, D Magazine Partners, Inc. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. You heard that story earlier tonight. Bryan sat across from them, Lewis next to 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. 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. I'm ready to turn that next page, Whitfield told The Texas Tribune on Wednesday. Live. I can control my kids, one parent said to her during the meeting. How did you feel? It was a football player. No, she said. 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. She didnt believe it. But if were really concerned about reputations here, whose reputation has been damaged more? 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. He was asked to remove photos from Facebook taken on a beach vacation with is wife, that some felt were inappropriate. 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! It ate at her. The tough drug-testing program that Grapevine-Colleyville has adopted. Example video title will go here for this video. RANKINGS star-telegram.com/article2703187 #txhssoccer Website. Then she reached inside and took hold of the vial. His resignation won't be official. He called a few buddies shortly before midnight and told them to meet him at Whataburger, one of the town hangouts. A mother raising a teenage boy who decided to use steroids like too many kids do, or a football coach who didnt know? Greg Abbott has called for it to be abolished in Texas schools. Aria has interned at the Austin American-Statesman, the Texas Tribune and the El Paso Times. It was all there. I wonder who it was.. Hes just got to get a little faster, a little bigger, a little stronger. We need to make sure we're providing a healthy environment for all of them. Wed have to move if our names came out, she said.. August 30, 2021 / 5:42 PM As a new campus principal, we wanted to provide a smooth transition for Dr. Whitfield to Heritage Middle School, which is why we advised him of the concern and made a request for the photos to be taken down from Facebook, it added. But as Lewis read it, she found something horrible. COLLEYVILLE HERITAGE. 5401 Heritage Ave, Colleyville, Texas | (817) 305-4700. Can you believe those boys using steroids? one asked. Going forward, Whitfield believes his work in education isnt done. It has 2,123 students in grades 9th through 12th. Brings new meaning to the phrase Sunday Funday. 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. But the reporters needed something else. "That show of love and support is a signal for me that in some form or fashion, I've made an impact in their lives and that's what I'm here to do," said Whitfield. Its pretty simple. 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). She tries to focus on the things shes helped accomplish. The school district announced Monday,. 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. In hindsight, of course I should have just called them. Submission Deadline: 11/4/22. Focusing on unique things school districts are doing to help children succeed. 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. Thank you for spreading love! With some of her neighbors not talking to her, she decided to take the next step. The man, Stetson Clark, narrowly lost a school board race in May to the incumbent, Becky St. John. 8:06 PM on Aug 30, 2021 CDT Updated at 1:21 PM on Sep 1, 2021 CDT. Are insane ticket costs pricing Astros fans out of Opening Day? Nearly a year later, she still believes this. Im gonna kick your ass.. 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. Meanwhile, a petition in support of Whitfield has garnered hundreds of signatures, and he said hes humbled for all the support hes received. Bryan never had to wonder whether his mom was engaged, as Dr. Phil likes to say. Butbefore he could pop open the champagne his boss called and asked him to check his email. They had a problem and needed to know about it, for the kids safety. This story has been shared 117,245 times. 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. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. It was the sort of breakthrough that could take a pointy-headed newspaper treatise and make it touch people, win awards, effect change. Theres no reason for me to take this photo down,' he told KXAS. [2] Colleyville Heritage High School celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2006. Officers on the scene have "the individual involved detained.". Lt. Gov. 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. At least hes not a drug addict, she thought. They werent too happy with me, she says. 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. She knew it would have to be this way. 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.. Dallas Cowboys want another playmaker on offense. 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. 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. Hey, you little pussy, he said. Perhaps that would spur someone to investigate the problem more aggressively. Clark said Whitfield was encouraging the disruption and destruction of our district because Whitfield, the high school's first Black principal, wrote a letter to the community during the summer of 2020 detailing how hurt he was over the deaths of three Black Americans: George Floyd in Minnesota, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. Then, two weeks later, Bryan left a movie theater on a weekend night. Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond. The decision. 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. At that moment, it didnt seem like an earth-shattering admission. "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?' Sitting at her computer in her Mid Cities work cubicle, Lewis felt disheartened as she read the story. While the move may have been about personnel, Whitfield said it feels personal. But I didnt want any of this for Bryan, Lewis says. So I wouldnt feel comfortable mowing your lawn.. 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. But on Friday morning, students marched out of school to protest his treatment by Grapevine-Colleyville ISD administration, and to demand that their beloved principal be brought back to the campus. 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. ", Grapevine-Colleyville ISD issued the following statement Monday. Im going to fight him.. Other people in the audience shouted in support and cheered when Clark made his remarks. As a new campus principal, we wanted to provide a smooth transition for Dr. Whitfield to Heritage Middle School, which is why we advised him of the concern and made a request for the photos to be taken down from Facebook.". In a July 31 post on his personal Facebook page, Whitfield responded: "I am not the CRT (Critical Race Theory) Boogeyman. "I think it's sweet. , Lori Lewis says the comments by Coach Cunningham slandered her and her reputation has been damaged. They know.. 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.. Dan Patrick has called it a ridiculous leftist narrative. Gov. He pulled forward into a parking space and waited on his friends, hoping everyone else would ignore him. At the first public hearing the school district held to discuss the issue, including spending money for more drug testing, not one parent showed up. The parents shes known since Bryan played tee ball with their kids a dozen years ago ignore her. Aug. 31The Colleyville Heritage High School principal who was put on paid administrative leave after he was placed at the center of a critical race theory debate said he has been given no . This one held something. The driver, the stockiest of the bunch, rapped on Bryans window. He hopes he starts, he says. Cunningham wants to know, Why now? Hes a good kid. McClure said no school officials have been implicated in the matter. We have established procedures for that which we are following.". Beal asked her to come into the school for a talk. Whitfield's wife Kerrie said she took the photo to mean a black man with a tattoo on his arm was inappropriate. Who knew? . The 18-year-old was arrested on charges of trespassing on school grounds and having a weapon in a place where its prohibited. 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. EVEN THOUGH LEWIS HAD PULLED BRYAN out of school, he was still getting hassled. 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. First published on August 30, 2021 / 5:42 PM. The Tarrant County Narcotics Unit, now working the steroids investigation, told Lewis that her first call should have been to them months ago. When the kids get to middle school, a lot of them go to sports camps in the summer to improve. She told the pharmacist she needed to vaccinate a horse. ON FEBRUARY 12, A SATURDAY, LEWIS WALKED into a salon to have her hair done. Hed only used them for a short while at the end of his sophomore year, when he wanted to make the varsity team as a junior. # 1,954 in National Rankings. 972-983-4822 cell. 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. (Everyone already knew, she says.) Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Superintendent Robin Ryan announced Whitfield was being placed on leave in a message to parents Monday. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. 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. He has served 35 years in education, all in Texas, including as principal of Colleyville Heritage High School from 2004 to 2006.