Meanwhile, a petition in support of Whitfield has garnered hundreds of signatures, and he said hes humbled for all the support hes received. The school went on lockdown when the incident was reported. 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.". Skater punks, Bryan would call them. Theyd made a mistake, she says. 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. His resignation won't be official. Colleyville Heritage High School principal James Whitfield has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Grapevine-Colleyville . Can you take this picture down? They were extremely polite but thorough. Attendance Clerk. No one could see her talking to school officials. 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. Now, GOP lawmakers have turned their attention to what books children have access to in schools. Minutes later, her son, Bryan Dyer (Lewis remarried in 1993), walked out of the school with a friend and headed toward his truck. We have established procedures for that which we are following.". But as Lewis read it, she found something horrible. About 20 showed up to the second meeting. Her son, a junior at Colleyville Heritage High School, had several such travel bags in his closet, but the others were all pressed flat, unused. McClure said the school began investigating the matter in October. Catherine Marfin, Breaking News Reporter. 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. 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). Twitter Fam, Youve probably seen #IStandwithDrWhitfield coming across your timeline, wondering what on earth is going on. "We're talking about a very short period, weeks," district spokeswoman Robin McClure said. It was also about keeping up with bitter enemies from Southlake Carroll, Grapevine, Keller, all the schools on the schedule. 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. A few parents blamed Lewis for making this an issue. THE SECRETARY AT COLLEYVILLE HERITAGE HIGH SCHOOL asked Lori Lewis for her sons last name. 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. She stared at the label, trying to concentrate as her heart rate spiked. Submission Deadline: 11/4/22. 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. According to state test scores, 55% of students are at least proficient in math and 77% in reading. All four got out of the car. She expected to hear from him in a week or so. [2] Colleyville Heritage High School celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2006. Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,925. ), & 6 (Mon.) 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. They would cooperate fully with the News reporters, but they wouldnt give anyone up. 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. 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. 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 . Dallas Cowboys want another playmaker on offense. 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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. Many in town obviously dont take the steroids problem seriously. She called a reporter at the weekly Colleyville Courier and told him her story. 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. Hes not even playing football this year. Bryan had to lie, even to friends who sidled up to him in private and asked if he was the one. Heritage Elementary School 4500 Heritage Avenue Colleyville, TX 76034 Eagle 1991 507 Bransford Elementary School 601 Glade Road . Enjoy unlimited access to all of our incredible journalism, in print and digital. We hid the photo, no one from above ever mentioned anything else about it, but the damage was inflicted on us in profound ways. The decision to place Dr. Whitfield on administrative leave was not a result of statements made by members of the public, including those who spoke at recent meetings of the GCISD Board of Trustees. For questions, to submit digital entries or to coordinate pickup of entries, please contact: Kacey Bess. Lewis wanted to get up and walk out, but she stayed put, stayed silent. Join us today so we can achieve that goal! This one held something. 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. That person was reported to the Colleyville police, she said. 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. The story was long, one of several the Morning News would run that week concerning steroid use. Colleyville Heritage High School Principal James Whitfield has faced sharp criticism from some parents who are accusing him of teaching critical race theory. In June, Lewis scheduled to have her lawn mowed by a Mid Cities fireman who runs a small lawn-care company. Ive told you everything I know. So I wouldnt feel comfortable mowing your lawn.. They even went to football games, sat in the stands, and made a list of the players who looked like they might be using steroids, based on the common signs: acne, muscular definition, rage. 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. A wave of nausea swept through her. One section on the report's website was called "Colleyville Heritage's team secret". The titles in the list range from children's books and anti-bullying tips to novels that discuss racism and sexuality. No, it didnt. In his post Saturday, Whitfield explained that the photos were taken a decade ago during their 10-year anniversary in Mexico. Dallas Cowboys want another playmaker on offense. My friends are used to it. She knew he didnt mean that literally more than half the Colleyville football team was on steroids. Feeder schools for Colleyville Heritage High School: Elementary: Oh, yeah, some of them are still doing it, Bryan says. From the moment I called the school, I didnt want him involved. They werent snitches. The students named an adult with no ties to the school as the source of the substances. This year Colleyville Heritage High School found only 19 girls out of a school of 2,400 students good enough for their cheerleading squad. It has 2,123 students in grades 9th through 12th. 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. 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.. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied journalism and public relations. Dr. James Whitfield has been promoted several times in the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD system. Its a smart school, too, well above state and national averages in students ACT and SAT scores. Jones and Jacobson talked to others in Colleyville who were suspected users, and all denied it. One day in the lunchroom, Bryan walked up to a group of students gathered around a table. Cooper vs. Colleyville Heritage - Texas High School Girls Basketball mr buva 0 No views 52 seconds ago #highschoolbasketball Stream Here https://gametoday.hs-sport.live/highs. It had absolutely nothing to do with race. He says that many of the football players at Colleyville were introduced to steroids by someone from a nearby rival. 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. But they would not be more specific. EVEN THOUGH LEWIS HAD PULLED BRYAN out of school, he was still getting hassled. 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 . reflections@chhsptsa.org. He meant half the players who mattered were juicing. No big deal, Bryan thought. Is Whataburger healthy? McClure said no school officials have been implicated in the matter. 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. The video was shot off campus and not during normal school hours.. Everyone would forget about it soon enough. He hopes he starts, he says. 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. 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. She says she never used the word condone, and her demeanor in all those phone calls was completely appropriate. Lewis was stunned. The reporters worked other sources. But she acknowledges that if shed known then how her city would turn against her, how her son would become ostracized by other kids, how her motives would be mocked on radio and television, how her actions would be second-guessed by police, it would have given her pause. CHHS PTSA Reflections Chair. (Everyone already knew, she says.) Suite 2100 But you figure theres a problem at the school, you call the school. Lets go, then, he said. He knewfrom friends, from weight-room whispers, from his own two eyesthat many of the starters were accomplishing just that task with injected aid. 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. 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. It was all there. Ive counted. Hate and #racism will not rule the day. That evening, she obsessed about its implication. "I think it's sweet. Colleyville Heritage High School went on lockdown Tuesday afternoon, March 1. CHHS has several sub-administrators who are given students to oversee based on last name. I just wish everyone else would.. He rolled it down. In early August, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD placed Whitfield on administrative leave. When Lori Lewis learned that many players on her sons Colleyville Heritage football team were using steroids, she blew the whistle. It has 1,879 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 14 to 1. In Colleyville, there are four places where kids usually hang out after dark: Whataburger, Taco Bell, Sonic, and Wendys. One of the students was detained on a charge of having a weapon in a place where its prohibited, police said. Colleyville Heritage High School principal James Whitfield has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials. I just want to get on with my life. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Dallas College. 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. Cunningham says one of the reasons he reacted the way he did, he was told that she was screaming at school officials and accusing him of condoning the steroid use. "When a social media concern is brought to the attention of the district, we have a responsibility to review it. No, she said. He called a few buddies shortly before midnight and told them to meet him at Whataburger, one of the town hangouts. (817) 305-4700. I knew it as soon as I finished the story. Colleyville Heritage High School is a top rated, public school located in COLLEYVILLE, TX. Oh, that. Im gonna kick your ass.. Her discovery. On the front page blared her sons story: Colleyville player says pressure to improve prompted steroid use.. And while her son was fighting his battles, Lewis was fighting hers. No real names, anyway. 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. None of the individuals had weapons on them, but a handgun was found in one of the students cars, police said. 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. She said it to calm her son. She opened it wide and turned it to the light. Lori Lewis carried a pair of her sons jeans into his closet. , Chris Cunningham says hes trying to do something about the problem so it doesnt happen again. Only a worried mom and a kid who felt he owed it to her to fess up, do the right thing, be a man. Greg Abbott has called for it to be abolished in Texas schools. In GCISD, we calculate 3 different GPAs following the conclusion of each semester. Since then, the district has stressed the move has nothing to do. It's something he and the district have denied. # 1,954 in National Rankings. So when Bryan pulled into the drive-thru and ordered, he wasnt surprised to see people he knew. She told the pharmacist she needed to vaccinate a horse. The Colleyville kids rarely venture far from home. Thats how competitive it is.. Theyre open late, they have cheap food, and theyre close by. She demanded to know why he was taking steroids. He's a happily married man. They had a problem and needed to know about it, for the kids safety. Theres not a steroids problem on his team.. With some of her neighbors not talking to her, she decided to take the next step. 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. Bryan understands, she says. When no one showed up, she called the owner to ask why. 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. 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. Cunningham wants to know, Why now? They were identified merely as the athlete and his mother.. District: Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District (ISD) SchoolDigger Rank: 370th of 1,876 Texas High Schools. While the move may have been about personnel, Whitfield said it feels personal. The next day, Lewis picked up her Sunday Morning News and boarded a chartered bus to Austin for a sales meeting. Faking it wasnt easy. He came at him againObviously, Bryan says, this kid did not know how to fightand this time Bryans punch knocked him to the ground. 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. ", "Anything that has to do with being inclusive, having a safe and nurturing environment for all students, they want to attach that to CRT, because it's the boogeyman buzzword of the day," added Whitfield. Dr. James Whitfield has been on administrative leave since late August. Check to be sure that email from abi@luhsd.net will come through. She was sad that shed been proven right. COLLEYVILLE - Nine Colleyville Heritage High School students involved in football and other athletics have admitted to using steroids, district officials said Friday. "I chalk it up to educators are held to a different standard, unfortunately. Media pundits like Hansen say she should shut up and let it be. They are: 1. 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. This story has been shared 117,245 times. Whitfield's status with Colleyville Heritage High School is expected to be decided at a Monday school board meeting. 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.