Ive counted. The Colleyville Heritage Steroid Scandal After finding steroids in her son's athletic bag in September of 2004, a Colleyville Heritage mom approached school administrators after. We've received your submission. "As this is an ongoing personnel matter, we will not comment further. Aria writes about breaking news. Youget home! she told him. How did you feel? 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. On July 31, Whitfield responded to the claims in a lengthy Facebook post. When Lori Lewis learned that many players on her sons Colleyville Heritage football team were using steroids, she blew the whistle. Anybody really believe that? Hes a happily married man. We remain committed to providing a learning environment that fosters and encourages student academic and extracurricular achievement, Ryan wrote. , Chris Cunningham says hes trying to do something about the problem so it doesnt happen again. He agreed not to name the family members. The answer, anabolic steroids, provided a bit of relief. 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. Get out of the car, Dyer, he said. Bryan understands, she says. 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.. Greg Abbott has called for it to be abolished in Texas schools. What did you expect him to say? How long did you do it? Hes a good kid. 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. Minutes later, her son, Bryan Dyer (Lewis remarried in 1993), walked out of the school with a friend and headed toward his truck. Mom, they already know. It was from the Grapevine-Colleyville school district. Some of the photos the district received contained poses that are questionable for an educator, especially a principal or administrator. 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. Some parents learned about the photo incident when they read Whitfields account on Facebook. Theres no reason for me to take this photo down,' he told KXAS. Had it come to that? She knew it would have to be this way. 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.". Whitfield is now speaking out about the incident and responding to what he claims are bigoted and racist attacks, including accusations that he is a proponent of critical race theory. Attendance Clerk. There were four teenagers inside, two in the front seat, two in back. James Whitfield chose to resign from his position as principal of Colleyville Heritage High School and the school board unanimously accepted on Monday. As part of a settlement between Whitfield and the district, he will remain on paid administrative leave until then. 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. The professionally shot photos, which were provided to People magazine by the Grapevine-Colleyville school district, show the couple in an intimate pose on a beach. 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. ", "Nothing he's done has anything to do with critical race theory," said civil rights attorney David Henderson ofEllwanger Law, which is supporting Whitfield. Whether the district acted over concerns from parents over racial issues or the way the couple was posed, Roppollo said there was no reason to censor the principal. NO NAMES. I have done nothing wrong by anyone, Whitfield said. Not Bryans. 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. "What he's done is said listen, we teach lots of different types of kids. Sitting at her computer in her Mid Cities work cubicle, Lewis felt disheartened as she read the story. Public school 1,974 Students Grades 9-12. Wednesday and Thursday shows are cancelled due to inclement weather. I just want to get on with my life. First published on August 30, 2021 / 5:42 PM. The students created a fake wall with the. 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. A weighted scale means additional GPA points are assigned to courses with greater rigor. Jones and Jacobson talked to others in Colleyville who were suspected users, and all denied it. Grapevine-Colleyville ISD may decide his fate by Monday. Im going to fight him.. COLLEYVILLE HERITAGE. 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. Hey, you little pussy, he said. His friend stopped him. Catherine writes about breaking news, crime and the Dallas Zoo. 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 . The school district announced Monday,. The Tarrant County Narcotics Unit, now working the steroids investigation, told Lewis that her first call should have been to them months ago. Join us today so we can achieve that goal! It was the sort of breakthrough that could take a pointy-headed newspaper treatise and make it touch people, win awards, effect change. They would cooperate fully with the News reporters, but they wouldnt give anyone up. I think its sweet. The school went on lockdown when the incident was reported. Even though it was approved by the district, the presentation was used to vilify my colleagues and me, he wrote. Arent they illegal now? 535. 6 /10. Whitfield, who was named principal of Colleyville Heritage High School ahead of the 2020-21 school year, has been accused online and in board meetings of teaching critical race theory and promoting a belief that white people are inherently racist. The 18-year-old, who is not a student, and two juvenile students were located inside the school, police said. James Whitfield chose to resign from his position as principal of Colleyville Heritage High School and the school board unanimously accepted on Monday. Bryan got out and starting jawing with him. 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. She tries to focus on the things shes helped accomplish. But he doesnt like it., When her son talks, she stares at him intently, looking for signs that hes upset or angry. We will not sit silently while these individuals continue their bigoted attacks. And, of course, making everyone in town proud, which is what winning does. The driver came after him. and I asked, 'Why? Who knew? Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. And it has nearly ruined their lives. I knew what I was getting into. In fact, she knows that by filing a slander suit against the schools football coach, Chris Cunningham, she has only invited more recrimination. Contact info. One of those parents complained about the photo and the district ordered Whitfield to take it down. Were set to play more disadvantaged and diverse opponents Trinity. During the following months, the reporters put together their package of stories. 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. 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. Bryan, afraid that someone inside had called the police, did the same. Officers were called around . (Cunningham says that at the time of the remarks, he didnt know Lewis identity, and he has since apologized.) I wanted to protect him. 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. Bryan never had to wonder whether his mom was engaged, as Dr. Phil likes to say. It was the right thing to do. "Our lawyers are looking at it," she said. Besides, she said. By now, she had revealed her identity in subsequent newspaper stories. An anonymous parent called the high school and said football players were using steroids, which are illegal to use or possess in Texas without a prescription, and that the school's football coach condoned it. That they will no longer give into that culture of forcing to assimilate and being ashamed of their identity," said student Sunehra Cowdhury. If my house was on fire, would you put it out? she asked. 972-983-4822 cell. That they are able to hear and see the students. Catherine Marfin, Breaking News Reporter. When Bryan got to school on Monday, it didnt take long to see that his cover had been blown. 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. My friends are used to it. She opened it wide and turned it to the light. He loves his new school. That person was reported to the Colleyville police, she said. I am not the CRT (Critical Race Theory) Boogeyman. 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. That kid will know who Patrick is. CHHS is a big school, with more than 2,200 students and an operating budget of $136.5 million for the. This is how competitive it is in this town, Lewis says, smiling. Thats how competitive it is.. On the bus, she read, careful not to catch anyones eye. Are insane ticket costs pricing Astros fans out of Opening Day? Butbefore he could pop open the champagne his boss called and asked him to check his email. Tickets for cancelled shows will be honored at these performances. 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.. 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 called a reporter at the weekly Colleyville Courier and told him her story. This story has been shared 117,245 times. Read more about CRT here. This was so she could direct Lewis to the appropriate vice principal. Ive moved on. 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. Its a stupid lawsuit. McClure said the school began investigating the matter in October. 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. He will step down as principal at Colleyville Heritage High School and remain on paid leave until 2023. first accused of teaching critical race theory during a Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District school board meeting. In hindsight, of course I should have just called them. Overall Score 89.05 /100. When Bryan got inside, Lewis pointed the bottle at him. I just want to know, Why? Colleyville Heritage High School Principal James Whitfield has faced sharp criticism from some parents who are accusing him of teaching critical race theory. Dr. James Whitfield has been promoted several times in the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD system. 12. Officers were called around 3:20 p.m. to the campus in the 5400 block of Heritage Avenue about a man with a gun. The only other known instance in which a group of high school athletes admitted to steroid use was in Buckeye, Ariz., in fall 2003, according to the Associated Press. 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. Lewis jumped in her car and raced the two miles to CHHS. Thats it? The paper sent a photographer, who took a picture of the vial of steroids, commonly known as Deca. And the story ran on the front page of the Courier on October 1, under a three-column headline that read: Steroid Use Suspected in Some Area Schools., The impact on the administration was less than shed hoped. "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. 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. 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. Later, they showed Bryan the list. Twitter Fam, Youve probably seen #IStandwithDrWhitfield coming across your timeline, wondering what on earth is going on. Theyre open late, they have cheap food, and theyre close by. ON FEBRUARY 12, A SATURDAY, LEWIS WALKED into a salon to have her hair done. GRAPEVINE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A high school principal at the center of a controversy in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is now on administrative leave. Its pretty simple. (Even though, technically, its in Euless.) She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied journalism and public relations. Whitfield's wife Kerrie said she took the photo to mean a black man with a tattoo on his arm was inappropriate. (Everyone already knew, she says.) When the kids get to middle school, a lot of them go to sports camps in the summer to improve. We just have to lay low, she said. 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. I dont think that was crazy.. He sounded drunk. 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. Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,925. She couldnt even get her grass cut? 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. [3] It would be my hope finally someone listens to the students because ultimately that's who we're here to serve. 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. And while her son was fighting his battles, Lewis was fighting hers. But that one sentence stuck with Lewis. 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. In May 2018, Dr. Ryan was named the 2018 Region XI Superintendent of the Year.
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