Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District. This is how competitive it is in this town, Lewis says, smiling. I dont think that was crazy.. Students held walkout in support of Colleyville Heritage HS principal 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. Tarrant County pastors call for fair treatment of principal | Fort Admitted it months earlier, not long after the journalists had interviewed Coach Cunningham. Too many of them are, but this one certainly is. But the students at CHHS had obviously read the story. Update: Revised at 9 p.m. with more information. It has 1,879 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 14 to 1. 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. She is suing the coach and the school district for $1.5 million because Cunningham said Lewis was a liar and crazy in an interview with the News. He called a few buddies shortly before midnight and told them to meet him at Whataburger, one of the town hangouts. This was so she could direct Lewis to the appropriate vice principal. 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. CHHS PTSA - Facebook 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. Media pundits like Hansen say she should shut up and let it be. Colleyville Heritage High School in Colleyville TX - SchoolDigger Eric Celeste is the editor at Spirit, the inflight magazine of Southwest Airlines. Colleyville is a majority-white city with only 1% of residents identifying as Black or African American, according to census data. ), & 6 (Mon.) Unfortunately, it didnt work out that way.. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Dallas College. 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.. 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. Join us today so we can achieve that goal! . He hopes he starts, he says. Lewis wanted to get up and walk out, but she stayed put, stayed silent. Compare Colleyville Heritage High School to Other Schools gcisd-k12.org Even though it was approved by the district, the presentation was used to vilify my colleagues and me, he wrote. 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. The district told WFAA again Friday that the decision has nothing to. For weeks, kids buzzed about who they thought might be the anonymous athlete caught using steroids. One of those parents complained about the photo and the district ordered Whitfield to take it down. Live. He came at him againObviously, Bryan says, this kid did not know how to fightand this time Bryans punch knocked him to the ground. As part of a settlement between Whitfield and the district, he will remain on paid administrative leave until then. 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. This story has been shared 117,245 times. ABSENCES. Its been a roller coaster for him, she says. 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. by Brian Lopez Some of the photos the district received contained poses that are questionable for an educator, especially a principal or administrator. ON FEBRUARY 12, A SATURDAY, LEWIS WALKED into a salon to have her hair done. 5401 Heritage Ave, Colleyville, Texas | (817) 305-4700. She tries to focus on the things shes helped accomplish. 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. That kid will know who Patrick is. And the News reporters agreed that they wouldnt identify any of the other students who Bryan knew or suspected used steroids. 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. 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. Nov. 10, 20215 PM Central. The video was shot off campus and not during normal school hours.. Good Lord, Lewis thought. First published on August 30, 2021 / 5:42 PM. Anybody really believe that? In GCISD, we calculate 3 different GPAs following the conclusion of each semester. It was from the Grapevine-Colleyville school district. 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. Many in town obviously dont take the steroids problem seriously. She knew he didnt mean that literally more than half the Colleyville football team was on steroids. I am not the CRT (Critical Race Theory) Boogeyman. Its even tough to find a yardman in town. Some parents learned about the photo incident when they read Whitfields account on Facebook. Colleyville Heritage High On Lockdown After Gun Reported In - MSN I just want to get on with my life. Its a smart school, too, well above state and national averages in students ACT and SAT scores. The reporters worked other sources. 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. Who is available? Lewis made it clear that they could not take her son out of class to talk to him. "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.'". 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. 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.". Home - Colleyville Heritage High School Devin Bryant, a senior at Covenant Christian Academy in Colleyville, says he was expelled for being gay and "evil." Principal Tommy Jeffrey doubles down on his decision, calls LGBTQ lifestyle non . NO NAMES. 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. Texas high school principal and district agree to part ways after he I do miss some of my friends from Heritage, he says. Aria Jones, Breaking news reporter. Butbefore he could pop open the champagne his boss called and asked him to check his email. Principal Speaks Out After School District Brands His Anniversary Pic The misspelled word had two arrows drawn toward it for emphasis. 4:25 PM on Mar 1, 2022 CST Updated at 8:58 PM on Mar 1, 2022 CST. 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. The district had no additional comments Monday night because it is an ongoing personnel matter, a spokeswoman said in a prepared statement. Detractors have problem with diversity, suspended Colleyville Heritage 5401 Heritage Ave. Colleyville, TX 76034-5919. But you figure theres a problem at the school, you call the school. He hung up. Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious TV interview, Turner: TEA is giving Houston ISD two optionsclose school or be taken over, Two ocelots were photographed crossing a road in rare South Texas sighting, Houston Rockets poised to reap benefits from Eric Gordon trade, Willie Nelson's new album is a lovely tribute to a fellow country legend, Hiker captures 'once-in-a-lifetime' photo of wildlife at Brazos Bend State Park, Why Johnson City in Texas Hill Country is the new, cooler Fredericksburg. "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. Colleyville Heritage High School Unclaimed. My Mom, the Narc - D Magazine 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. Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond. (CHHS officials declined to speak with D Magazine.) The one thing that bothers Lewis is how this has affected her family. "We don't make rules unless we're asked by our member schools.". The photos were from an anniversary trip. 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. And while her son was fighting his battles, Lewis was fighting hers. That Friday after the story had come out, near midnight, Bryan got a call on his cell phone. 8:06 PM on Aug 30, 2021 CDT Updated at 1:21 PM on Sep 1, 2021 CDT. 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. GPA is calculated on a 4.0 weighted GPA scale. At least hes not a drug addict, she thought. Colleyville Heritage principal accused of teaching critical race theory Dr. James Whitfield has been promoted several times in the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD system. About 20 showed up to the second meeting. She told the pharmacist she needed to vaccinate a horse. 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. They had the Courier article spread out, and several people were closely eyeing the photo accompanying the story. That they will no longer give into that culture of forcing to assimilate and being ashamed of their identity," said student Sunehra Cowdhury. I cant run from this. There were several long pauses, she says. Colleyville Heritage principal responds to 'racism and bigotry' | Fort He knew where he was: at a party one block over. Bryan never had to wonder whether his mom was engaged, as Dr. Phil likes to say. One of those parents complained. Focusing on unique things school districts are doing to help children succeed. Its pretty simple. Dave Denning, a former Grapevine High School principal, will serve as interim leader of the campus, Ryan said. , Chris Cunningham says hes trying to do something about the problem so it doesnt happen again. CHHS PTSA Reflections Chair. Our membership goal is 1 voice for every student! We understand that members of our community have questions, but the District does not resolve personnel matters in the media. Three of his best friends have transferred to it in the past few years, so he has his core group of buddies together. But they would not be more specific. 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. Theyd made a mistake, she says. GRAPEVINE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A high school principal at the center of a controversy in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is now on administrative leave. Ive counted. Phone calls can only be accepted the day of the absence. The school went on lockdown when the incident was reported. On February 4, the Morning News dropped that bombshell and used quotes and information from their interviews with Lewis and Bryan. Whatever. She said it to calm her son. Brings new meaning to the phrase Sunday Funday. Bryan sat across from them, Lewis next to him. 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 Well, Im a friend of Coach Cunninghams. 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. 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. As Lewis recalls, Beal said, Ive talked to Coach Cunningham, and he says its not true. He said the district wouldn't tell him why. 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 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. COLLEYVILLE - Nine Colleyville Heritage High School students involved in football and other athletics have admitted to using steroids, district officials said Friday. The titles in the list range from children's books and anti-bullying tips to novels that discuss racism and sexuality. Lt. Gov. 535. A wave of nausea swept through her. "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. By midweek, Bryan couldnt take the whispers and the barely contained seething of the football players. at 7pm. If my house was on fire, would you put it out? she asked. 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. My friends are used to it. Lewis didnt want to confront Bryan in front of his friends. Check to be sure that email from abi@luhsd.net will come through. This one held something. 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. CHHS is a big school, with more than 2,200 students and an operating budget of $136.5 million for the. That they are able to hear and see the students. Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District - Wikipedia Are insane ticket costs pricing Astros fans out of Opening Day? All students and staff are safe, the school . Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,925. Sitting in her living room, Lewis moans slightly and puts her head down when her son explains what his life is like now: I just want this to be over, Bryan, 17, says. Dude, I think thats your mom.. How did you feel? 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.. 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. Im gonna beat your ass.. He mentions a senior. They had to get everything ready for when they return after the summer, when Bryan plans to go out for the varsity team. 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. Colleyville Heritage High School went on lockdown Tuesday afternoon, March 1. Then, two weeks later, Bryan left a movie theater on a weekend night. The students named an adult with no ties to the school as the source of the substances. It was at this moment that I knew the attack that we currently endure, was coming, the principal wrote on Facebook. Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond. 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. When Bryan got to school on Monday, it didnt take long to see that his cover had been blown. A high school principal in Colleyville says his bosses ordered him to remove a photo of him embracing his wife from social media. 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 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. The driver said he was friends with one of the players who used steroids. Beal asked her to come into the school for a talk. 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! Wednesday and Thursday shows are cancelled due to inclement weather. 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. Updated at 1:12 p.m. Wednesday with details throughout. Colleyville Heritage High School in Texas hosted controversial event. "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?' Can you take this picture down? 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. Where were you when you first injected them? Im used to it.. Colleyville Heritage High School in Colleyville, TX - US News Best High Catherine Marfin, Breaking News Reporter. It ate at her. The story was long, one of several the Morning News would run that week concerning steroid use. "What he's done is said listen, we teach lots of different types of kids. He took notes: Most Football Team taking SteroidsSon Played last yearCoach CunninghamSon Plays [blacked out]*Anomysly*. That person was reported to the Colleyville police, she said. The 18-year-old, who is not a student, and two juvenile students were located inside the school, police said. Lewis was convinced the tiny bottle held heroin, unaware that most illicit drugs are not sold with pharmaceutical labels. 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. While the move may have been about personnel, Whitfield said it feels personal. 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. 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. Had it come to that? (Even though, technically, its in Euless.) He decided in the summer to concentrate on baseball. Its bad enough they identified her as a cheerleader. Website. 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. Lewis hung up. Last Monday, August 23, students gathered at a school board meeting to express their support for Whitfield. On their cardboard, handmade wall, they wrote: 'Paid for by . , Lori Lewis says the comments by Coach Cunningham slandered her and her reputation has been damaged. We have established procedures for that which we are following.". She didnt feel proud that shed proven the school wrong. Whats wrong with the picture? It was, Hey, I am trying to avoid any conflict, he told the station. That was months ago. 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. Lewis asked that Beal call her back when his investigation was finished. We just have to lay low, she said. Black principal told to remove Facebook photo with white wife Colleyville Heritage High School in Colleyville, TX She didnt believe it. The tough drug-testing program that Grapevine-Colleyville has adopted. Is Whataburger healthy? # 1,954 in National Rankings. Nine CHHS players have admitted to using steroids. Told that, McClure said she was certain the information had been passed on to the Colleyville department. He pulled forward into a parking space and waited on his friends, hoping everyone else would ignore him. 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. She was sad that shed been proven right. She laughs about it more than she complains. She knew the pettiness would get worse once she filed the lawsuit. No real names, anyway. He told KXAS that he received an email at the time from a school administrator containing an image of himself and his wife, Kerrie, kissing on their anniversary trip. 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. Not Lewis. There were also names. We hid the photo, no one from above ever mentioned anything else about it, but the damage was inflicted on us in profound ways. Do you value our journalism? He says that many of the football players at Colleyville were introduced to steroids by someone from a nearby rival. They would cooperate fully with the News reporters, but they wouldnt give anyone up. The median household income tops $150,000. A new study says yes. McClure said no school officials have been implicated in the matter. The school became the focus of national attention during a 2005 steroid scandal involving multiple student-athletes. With some of her neighbors not talking to her, she decided to take the next step. But James Whitfield said he took it to mean the issue was he was in an interracial relationship. Cooper vs. Colleyville Heritage - Texas High School Girls Basketball 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?' Suite 2100 Read more about this topic: Colleyville Heritage High School, Athletics Other articles related to "steroid controversy, steroid, steroids": "The only mention we make is a warning on health effects on our Web site," she said. School would be out soon. 5401 Heritage Avenue, Colleyville, TX 76034 . But no names were used. Why would he use steroids? We will not sit silently while these individuals continue their bigoted attacks. 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. 817-305-4717. The University Interscholastic League, which sets rules for competition in Texas high school sports, has no policy on steroids. Hes just got to get a little faster, a little bigger, a little stronger. You may need to show identification if this was not done at walk-thru. 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. He received a disciplinary letter from the district a few weeks later and was placed on administrative leave soon after that. They were changed to Patrick and Michelle. He agreed not to name the family members. During the following months, the reporters put together their package of stories. But I didnt want any of this for Bryan, Lewis says. Only one. He was asked to remove photos from Facebook taken on a beach vacation with is wife, that some felt were inappropriate. 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.. She wants a million-five. GRAPEVINE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Dozens of students and parents rallied outside Grapevine-Colleyville ISD's school board meeting Monday night, August 23, to show support for Colleyville. He wants to play wide receiver. Colleyville Heritage High School - Wikipedia Ive only chosen to speak out against baseless allegations after [the district] allowed a man to speak my name at the July 26 board meeting, he said. James Whitfield at his home in Hurst on Sept. 16. 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 guess they dont care.. Overall Score 89.05 /100. Updated at 1:12 p.m. Wednesday with details throughout. 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.