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Twitter Fam, Youve probably seen #IStandwithDrWhitfield coming across your timeline, wondering what on earth is going on. It was all there. 5401 Heritage Ave, Colleyville, Texas | (817) 305-4700. 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.. He took notes: Most Football Team taking SteroidsSon Played last yearCoach CunninghamSon Plays [blacked out]*Anomysly*. It was the right thing to do. Whitfield's status with Colleyville Heritage High School is expected to be decided at a Monday school board meeting. Thats your investigation? The Tarrant County Narcotics Unit, now working the steroids investigation, told Lewis that her first call should have been to them months ago. Not Lewis. There were four teenagers inside, two in the front seat, two in back. 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. For questions, to submit digital entries or to coordinate pickup of entries, please contact: Kacey Bess. And the News reporters agreed that they wouldnt identify any of the other students who Bryan knew or suspected used steroids. They needed more information. 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. Wednesday and Thursday shows are cancelled due to inclement weather. Hes just got to get a little faster, a little bigger, a little stronger. Ive moved on. ", Grapevine-Colleyville ISD issued the following statement Monday. Like most teens, he acts blas, even when talking about how much he cant wait for college so I can get away from this town, all the crap thats gone on., Not that hes obsessing about it, either, he says. Officers were called around 3:20 p.m. to the campus in the 5400 block of Heritage Avenue about a man with a gun. by Brian Lopez 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. I knew it as soon as I finished the story. "But if it's not CRT for this group, it will be something else.". # 1,954 in National Rankings. I cant run from this. 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. Overall Score 89.05 /100. Only a worried mom and a kid who felt he owed it to her to fess up, do the right thing, be a man. 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. He has served 35 years in education, all in Texas, including as principal of Colleyville Heritage High School from 2004 to 2006. 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. In Colleyville, there are four places where kids usually hang out after dark: Whataburger, Taco Bell, Sonic, and Wendys. First, she noticed the syringes. The CHHS teacher who cornered her in the parking lot after the second public hearing and told her many teachers supported her but were afraid to speak out. They were identified merely as the athlete and his mother.. They would cooperate fully with the News reporters, but they wouldnt give anyone up. 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. Website. Catherine Marfin, Breaking News Reporter. 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 . Its pretty simple. 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. 5, 2021 In June 2019, shortly after James Whitfield, a Black educator, was hired as the principal of a middle school in Colleyville, Texas, an administrator with the school district. No spam, ever. COLLEYVILLE - Nine Colleyville Heritage High School students involved in football and other athletics have admitted to using steroids, district officials said Friday. Get out of the car, Dyer, he said. 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. 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. 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She didnt take long to make her decision: Bring it on.. Now, GOP lawmakers have turned their attention to what books children have access to in schools. It has 1,879 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 14 to 1. As part of a settlement between Whitfield and the district, he will remain on paid administrative leave until then. She expected to hear from him in a week or so. (CHHS officials declined to speak with D Magazine.) He sounded drunk. 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. Colleyville Heritage High School 5401 Heritage Avenue Colleyville, TX 76034 P 817-305-4700 F 817-358-4765 According to their story, Cunningham went on a 15-minute rant and blamed the then-unidentified mother for creating this problem. 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. 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. 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. I am grateful for your partnership and look forward to working with you to serve and support the students of Colleyville Heritage High School.. "His diversity efforts have just been amazing," said student Samantha Zelling, who took part in Friday's march and protest. Lewis repeated that shed told him everything she knew. But the students at CHHS had obviously read the story. As she waited, she overheard customers gabbing. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Grapevine-Colleyville ISD may decide his fate by Monday. That kid will know who Patrick is. In GCISD, we calculate 3 different GPAs following the conclusion of each semester. That they will no longer give into that culture of forcing to assimilate and being ashamed of their identity," said student Sunehra Cowdhury. He was asked to remove photos from Facebook taken on a beach vacation with is wife, that some felt were inappropriate. Copyright 2023, D Magazine Partners, Inc. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Bryan, three inches taller, popped him in the face. The one thing that bothers Lewis is how this has affected her family. Compare Colleyville Heritage High School to Other Schools gcisd-k12.org He was just letting her know that he wasnt alone. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. Instead of issuing their support of me, they came after me, he said. Skater punks, Bryan would call them. It was at this moment that I knew the attack that we currently endure, was coming, the principal wrote on Facebook. No real names, anyway. 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. 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. About 20 showed up to the second meeting. One day in the lunchroom, Bryan walked up to a group of students gathered around a table. For nearly 10 years, she wrote restaurant reviews for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and her work has appeared in 360 West, Eater Dallas, Edible DFW, A+C magazine, D CEO, GlobeSt.com and Houstonia magazine. She was still at her sales conference. 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. Let your love shine so brightly & your positive voice be so loud that it drowns out the noise. 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. 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. Beal said she was not cooperating. It was from the Grapevine-Colleyville school district. And while her son was fighting his battles, Lewis was fighting hers. One of those parents complained about the photo and the district ordered Whitfield to take it down. 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 . Bryan, afraid that someone inside had called the police, did the same. Some in the district have accused him of implementing critical race theory in the classroom. Mom, Im going over there. I wonder who it was.. But the moms wouldnt tell the other moms about it, because they want their kid to have an edge. 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. I am not the CRT (Critical Race Theory) Boogeyman. 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. She told the pharmacist she needed to vaccinate a horse. It was a football player. 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 . Three of his best friends have transferred to it in the past few years, so he has his core group of buddies together. Bryan had to lie, even to friends who sidled up to him in private and asked if he was the one. There were several long pauses, she says. Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond. 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They had the Courier article spread out, and several people were closely eyeing the photo accompanying the story. Bryan is used to getting in trouble with his mom. Is Whataburger healthy? Some parents from Colleyville Heritage learned of the photo incident after a lengthy social media post Whitfield made over the weekend about the accusations he's faced and the pressure he and his family have been under, including the frustration over the district asking him to take down the photo. 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. But he doesnt like it., When her son talks, she stares at him intently, looking for signs that hes upset or angry. Kids had easy access to steroids, athletes were using them, and high school administrators were in denial. How did you feel? Critical race theory, or CRT, is an academic discipline usually taught at the university level. "The only mention we make is a warning on health effects on our Web site," she said. Mom, they already know. Not Bryans. Buy tickets online here. The school district announced Monday, August 30, Colleyville Heritage High Principal Dr. James Whitfield was placed on paid administrative leave. When he decided not to play (and when he noticed acne on his back during the family vacation in Florida), he stopped. Colleyville Heritage High School principal James Whitfield has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Grapevine-Colleyville . 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! Instead, a car slowly inched into the space next to him. Shows are now Feb. 3 (Fri.), 4 (Sat. Public school 1,974 Students Grades 9-12. From the moment I called the school, I didnt want him involved. Bryan never had to wonder whether his mom was engaged, as Dr. Phil likes to say. 6 /10. ), & 6 (Mon.) Im gonna beat your ass.. Students were dismissed about an hour late Tuesday, the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District tweeted. He sold her the needles.. She knew he didnt mean that literally more than half the Colleyville football team was on steroids. The school became the focus of national attention during a 2005 steroid scandal involving multiple student-athletes. 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? Football players were calling him Patrick. Conversations stopped when he arrived. Then, one evening the Courier reporter called Lewis and asked if he could pass along her phone number to two reporters with the Dallas Morning News who were working on a series of stories examining steroid use in high schools all across North Texas. Colleyville Heritage High School. By now, she had revealed her identity in subsequent newspaper stories. GRAPEVINE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A high school principal at the center of a controversy in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is now on administrative leave. In June, Lewis scheduled to have her lawn mowed by a Mid Cities fireman who runs a small lawn-care company. Never missed one, she says proudly. Only one. GPA is calculated on a 4.0 weighted GPA scale. 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. at 7pm. This PTA does not endorse n See more 636 people like this , Chris Cunningham says hes trying to do something about the problem so it doesnt happen again. Lewis jumped in her car and raced the two miles to CHHS. No one from the school called her. His decision. The University Interscholastic League, which sets rules for competition in Texas high school sports, has no policy on steroids. Nov. 10, 20215 PM Central. COLLEYVILLE HERITAGE. 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?' SOUTHLAKE, Texas - Carroll ISD is punishing some students for an offensive video that shows a group of teens chanting the n-word. Proponents also believe race is culturally invented, not biological. 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. Too many of them are, but this one certainly is. The median household income tops $150,000. Nor was the decision made in response to allegations Dr. Whitfield was teaching Critical Race Theory, or because of the photos on his social media account that were brought to the attention of the District in 2019. Only 22,000 people live in Colleyville. He mentions a senior. Anybody really believe that? COLLEYVILLE - Nine Colleyville Heritage High School students involved in football and other athletics have admitted to using steroids, district officials said Friday. THE SECRETARY AT COLLEYVILLE HERITAGE HIGH SCHOOL asked Lori Lewis for her sons last name. One of those parents complained. She said the issue comes up informally "every time a professional athlete makes headlines" for steroid use. And, of course, making everyone in town proud, which is what winning does. The driver said he was friends with one of the players who used steroids. [2] Colleyville Heritage High School celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2006. He's a happily married man. Phone calls can only be accepted the day of the absence. I showed it to my wife, who immediately begins to well up with tears," he said. James Whitfield, principal of. They shouldnt be filing stupid lawsuits. We will not sit silently while these individuals continue their bigoted attacks. Lewis wanted to get up and walk out, but she stayed put, stayed silent. I can control my kids, one parent said to her during the meeting. Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,925. . Ironically, it was the place where hed purchased his steroids. Lt. Gov. 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. Lewis was stunned. He called a few buddies shortly before midnight and told them to meet him at Whataburger, one of the town hangouts. EVEN THOUGH LEWIS HAD PULLED BRYAN out of school, he was still getting hassled. 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. Attendance Clerk. Dude, I think thats your mom.. GRAPEVINE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A high school principal at the center of a controversy in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is now on administrative leave. It read nandrolone decanoate.. 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. It was early afternoon on Wednesday, September 22, and the Colleyville mother, after putting away the jeans, noticed a black leather bag. The reporters worked other sources. THOSE WERE THE GROUND RULES, never in question, always understood. Faking it wasnt easy. She knew the pettiness would get worse once she filed the lawsuit. The weekend before the series was to run, a fax came to the Morning News. "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. Officers on the scene have "the individual involved detained.". Many in town obviously dont take the steroids problem seriously. She went to sleep thinking it was the right thing to do. 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. (Even though, technically, its in Euless.) "I think it's sweet. One of the students was detained on a charge of having a weapon in a place where its prohibited, police said. CHHS is a big school, with more than 2,200 students and an operating budget of $136.5 million for the. Youget home! she told him. Lets go, then, he said. 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. 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. Colleyville is a majority-white city with only 1% of residents identifying as Black or African American, according to census data. THEATRE DEPARTMENT. Admitted it months earlier, not long after the journalists had interviewed Coach Cunningham. 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. How many varsity football players got calls for drug deals in their SAT prep class this year? He knewfrom friends, from weight-room whispers, from his own two eyesthat many of the starters were accomplishing just that task with injected aid. 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. She demanded to know why he was taking steroids. 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. The story said one boy admitted to using them. This was so she could direct Lewis to the appropriate vice principal.