I love them, they love me," Whitfield said in an interview with WFAA's Jason Whitely on the same day the students walked out of school to support him. He had a Grapevine High School sticker on his car, so he didnt go to Heritage. Not Lewis. Lewis pulled him out of CHHS and would soon enroll him in a nearby private school. That evening, she obsessed about its implication. The next day, Lewis picked up her Sunday Morning News and boarded a chartered bus to Austin for a sales meeting. The school went on lockdown when the incident was reported. Only 22,000 people live in Colleyville. The driver said he was friends with one of the players who used steroids. He wants to play wide receiver. Compare Colleyville Heritage High School to Other Schools gcisd-k12.org GRAPEVINE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A high school principal at the center of a controversy in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is now on administrative leave. Dangit, you got me!? Anna Caplan covers McKinney, Southlake, Grapevine and Colleyville. (Everyone already knew, she says.) Its why she doesnt let me talk to, or even see, her husband and younger daughter. I am not the CRT (Critical Race Theory) Boogeyman. One day in the lunchroom, Bryan walked up to a group of students gathered around a table. Its a smart school, too, well above state and national averages in students ACT and SAT scores. Had it come to that? In May 2018, Dr. Ryan was named the 2018 Region XI Superintendent of the Year. When no one showed up, she called the owner to ask why. Officers on the scene have "the individual involved detained.". THE SECRETARY AT COLLEYVILLE HERITAGE HIGH SCHOOL asked Lori Lewis for her sons last name. They were identified merely as the athlete and his mother.. Faking it wasnt easy. Some parents learned about the photo incident when they read Whitfields account on Facebook. He says that many of the football players at Colleyville were introduced to steroids by someone from a nearby rival. Can you believe those boys using steroids? one asked. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Dallas College. We need to make sure we're providing a healthy environment for all of them. Greg Abbott has called for it to be abolished in Texas schools. ", "Nothing he's done has anything to do with critical race theory," said civil rights attorney David Henderson ofEllwanger Law, which is supporting Whitfield. Shows are now Feb. 3 (Fri.), 4 (Sat. 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. Its pretty simple. Skater punks, Bryan would call them. 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. 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. Oh, yeah, some of them are still doing it, Bryan says. 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. One section on the report's website was called "Colleyville Heritage's team secret". It read nandrolone decanoate.. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. At that moment, it didnt seem like an earth-shattering admission. 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. 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. I just want to know, Why? In his post Saturday, Whitfield explained that the photos were taken a decade ago during their 10-year anniversary in Mexico. We have established procedures for that which we are following.". Summarizing his defense, he finally blurted, Mom, the majority of the football team is taking them.. No spam, ever. Instead of issuing their support of me, they came after me, he said. It had absolutely nothing to do with race., The photo that aired in initial media reports was not the only photo that was received by the District, Kristin Snively, executive director of communications for the district, wrote in an email to The Dallas Morning News. McClure said no school officials have been implicated in the matter. 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. 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 am grateful for your partnership and look forward to working with you to serve and support the students of Colleyville Heritage High School.. From the moment I called the school, I didnt want him involved. 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 opened it wide and turned it to the light. None of the individuals had weapons on them, but a handgun was found in one of the students cars, police said. Except for a few friends, he felt ostracized. 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. 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?' As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. We remain committed to providing a learning environment that fosters and encourages student academic and extracurricular achievement, Ryan wrote. Cunningham has apologized and said it was wrong to say the things he did, but I think anybody would have reacted the same way. Even though it was approved by the district, the presentation was used to vilify my colleagues and me, he wrote. And while her son was fighting his battles, Lewis was fighting hers. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Woman in viral pizza rant now facing ethnic harassment charges, Murdaugh Judge Clifton Newman: From segregated schools to the best we want in our jurists, NYC DOE probing anti-white texts linked to black superintendent, Black children attack, force white kids to say Black Lives Matter at Ohio school: video. 972-983-4822 cell. His decision. Lewis decided that she had an obligation to inform the school. But the reporters needed something else. I wanted to protect him. Submission Deadline: 11/4/22. The median household income tops $150,000. She didnt believe it. Here is a look at the Top 3 girls teams in Class 5A. Buy tickets online here. As Lewis recalls, Beal said, Ive talked to Coach Cunningham, and he says its not true. I knew it as soon as I finished the story. 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. Bryan, afraid that someone inside had called the police, did the same. It didnt take long for more questions to come. Why should my kid be drug-tested just because you cant control yours?. She hurried downstairs and called the pharmacy at the nearby Walgreens. Let your love shine so brightly & your positive voice be so loud that it drowns out the noise. Too many of them are, but this one certainly is. COLLEYVILLE HERITAGE. Website. You heard that story earlier tonight. Lesli Ware. First, she noticed the syringes. The man, Stetson Clark, narrowly lost a school board race in May to the incumbent, Becky St. John. On their cardboard, handmade wall, they wrote: 'Paid for by . 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. Sitting at her computer in her Mid Cities work cubicle, Lewis felt disheartened as she read the story. Maybe he wont tell anyone.Then she read paragraph 33, which detailed Patricks efforts to have a woman buy his needles so he wouldnt arouse suspicion: The cheerleader went to a nearby Kroger supermarket. (Cunningham says that at the time of the remarks, he didnt know Lewis identity, and he has since apologized.) 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. 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It was from the Grapevine-Colleyville school district. Whitfield's status with Colleyville Heritage High School is expected to be decided at a Monday school board meeting. It was a football player. Get out of the car, Dyer, he said. 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.". The misspelled word had two arrows drawn toward it for emphasis. Hey, you little pussy, he said. Hes a happily married man. 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. She said it to calm her son. Colleyville Heritage High School in Texas hosted controversial event. Hes not happy that Im still talking to the media. His friend stopped him. "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. But you figure theres a problem at the school, you call the school. Well, Im a friend of Coach Cunninghams. "As this is an ongoing personnel matter, we will not comment further. [2] Colleyville Heritage High School celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2006. Other people in the audience shouted in support and cheered when Clark made his remarks. Sort of. [3] Bryan knew who it was. It's something he and the district have denied. My friends are used to it. 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. She didnt take long to make her decision: Bring it on.. Catherine Marfin, Breaking News Reporter. Mom, Im going over there. For questions, to submit digital entries or to coordinate pickup of entries, please contact: Kacey Bess. 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. CHHS is a big school, with more than 2,200 students and an operating budget of $136.5 million for the. About 20 showed up to the second meeting. The driver came after him. Colleyville Heritage High School Unclaimed. But Colleyville police Detective Hillary Wreay said her department has received no information from the school on the alleged sale or distribution of steroids and has no investigation in progress. "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.'". Read more about this topic: Colleyville Heritage High School, Athletics Other articles related to "steroid controversy, steroid, steroids": He was just letting her know that he wasnt alone. He rolled it down. 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 think it's silly, I can't see why a husband and wife can't have a picture of them in a sweet moment.". , Chris Cunningham says hes trying to do something about the problem so it doesnt happen again. The school district announced Monday,. "We don't make rules unless we're asked by our member schools.". This year Colleyville Heritage High School found only 19 girls out of a school of 2,400 students good enough for their cheerleading squad. The school became the focus of national attention during a 2005 steroid scandal involving multiple student-athletes. The driver, the stockiest of the bunch, rapped on Bryans window. The curriculum, an academic framework that says racism is a systemic problem perpetuated by government policies and institutions, is not taught in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, multiple sources in the district have said. My mom catches me at everything, Bryan says. School would be out soon. But no names were used. Bryan sat across from them, Lewis next to him. The coaches had told him to get bigger and stronger if he wanted to earn a starting position, he said. The story was long, one of several the Morning News would run that week concerning steroid use. Theres no reason for me to take this photo down,' he told KXAS. When Ted Beal answered his phone that morning, September 23, the nightmare began for the CHHS administration. All students and staff are safe, the school . 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! They had the Courier article spread out, and several people were closely eyeing the photo accompanying the story. August 30, 2021 / 5:42 PM We've received your submission. at 7pm. (CHHS officials declined to speak with D Magazine.) She was the founding editor of the websites PureWow Dallas and Racked Dallas. Colleyville Heritage High School 5401 Heritage Avenue Colleyville, TX 76034 P: (817) 305-4700 F: (817) 358-4765 E: chhs.info@gcisd.net Quick Facts Year Opened: 1996 Grades: 9th - 12th Enrollment: 1,984 Mascot: Panthers Principal: Julia Stephen Other Important Information/Procedures Hours First Bell: 8:40 a.m. School Ends: 4:00 p.m. Dallas Cowboys want another playmaker on offense. "What he's done is said listen, we teach lots of different types of kids. All that stuff I could handle, and I do handle, she says. But they would not be more specific. She was still at her sales conference. He loves his new school. Hes been up at his schools weight room with other athletes, cleaning the mats, spray-painting the weights, putting the gym junk away. 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. "I chalk it up to educators are held to a different standard, unfortunately. This is how competitive it is in this town, Lewis says, smiling. "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?' "They did not feel there was a problem that we needed to look into," Rogers said. I think its silly, I cant see why a husband and wife cant have a picture of them in a sweet moment, she said. Tickets for cancelled shows will be honored at these performances. 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? I know that there's just so many people under these attacks and that's my greatest fear because this profession means so much to me, he said. Aria writes about breaking news. Why would he use steroids? He received a disciplinary letter from the district a few weeks later and was placed on administrative leave soon after that. She says she never used the word condone, and her demeanor in all those phone calls was completely appropriate. Some in the district have accused him of implementing critical race theory in the classroom. Contact info. Admitted it months earlier, not long after the journalists had interviewed Coach Cunningham. Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond. I just wish everyone else would.. 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. Then she reached inside and took hold of the vial. This story has been shared 117,245 times. District: Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District (ISD) SchoolDigger Rank: 370th of 1,876 Texas High Schools. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied journalism and public relations. Can you take this picture down? 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. Meanwhile, a petition in support of Whitfield has garnered hundreds of signatures, and he said hes humbled for all the support hes received. His resignation wont be official until Aug. 15, 2023. He knows its just because she loves him, but, damn, so many other kids get away with telling white lies, staying out late. On July 31, Whitfield responded to the claims in a lengthy Facebook post. As part of a settlement between Whitfield and the district, he will remain on paid administrative leave until then. So when Bryan pulled into the drive-thru and ordered, he wasnt surprised to see people he knew. It was at this moment that I knew the attack that we currently endure, was coming, the principal wrote on Facebook. 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. She expected to hear from him in a week or so. 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.. Police did not identify either individual. When Lori Lewis learned that many players on her sons Colleyville Heritage football team were using steroids, she blew the whistle. Last Monday, August 23, students gathered at a school board meeting to express their support for Whitfield. No one has provided any evidence that Cunningham knew about the steroid use on his football team, and theres no evidence that Lori Lewis is a crazy mom. She couldnt even get her grass cut? Lewis jumped in her car and raced the two miles to CHHS. 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 . 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. 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. No, it didnt. Scholars developed it during the 1970s and 1980s in response to what they viewed as a lack of racial progress following the civil rights legislation of the 1960s. 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 demanded to know why he was taking steroids. Nine CHHS players have admitted to using steroids. Lewis told Beal she was left with no choice but to take her story to the media. LIVE: Colleyville Heritage vs. Grapevine | 2023 High School Soccer - YouTube Premieres in 4 hours February 21 at 4:00 PM Rice Memorial vs. Colchester | 2023 High School Boys Basketball. Butbefore he could pop open the champagne his boss called and asked him to check his email. In Colleyville, there are four places where kids usually hang out after dark: Whataburger, Taco Bell, Sonic, and Wendys. 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. Colleyville Heritage High School. I have done nothing wrong by anyone, Whitfield said. Aria Jones, Breaking news reporter. 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. No, she said. She laughs about it more than she complains. Later, they showed Bryan the list. It was time to do something about her own reputationand those of future whistle-blowers. Can you hide it? and I asked, Why? Enjoy unlimited access to all of our incredible journalism, in print and digital. 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. A new study says yes. With some of her neighbors not talking to her, she decided to take the next step. And the News reporters agreed that they wouldnt identify any of the other students who Bryan knew or suspected used steroids. That Friday after the story had come out, near midnight, Bryan got a call on his cell phone. No big deal, Bryan thought. She asked the druggist to decipher the label for her. I dont think that was crazy.. She checked the time. 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. Sports means everything to folks here, Bryan says. Only one. The students created a fake wall with the. Lewis didnt want to confront Bryan in front of his friends. Lewis repeated that shed told him everything she knew. Colleyville Heritage High School 5401 Heritage Avenue Colleyville, TX 76034 P 817-305-4700 F 817-358-4765 First published on August 30, 2021 / 5:42 PM. Colleyville Heritage High School principal James Whitfield has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials. How many of them bought needles for players? They had pieced together a clear picture of a serious problem. 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 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. 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. At a board meeting a few weeks before last weeks, the parent group accused Whitfield by name which is against school board meeting rules. The reporters worked other sources.

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