Dr. James Whitfield has been promoted several times in the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD system. I know he is. It was the right thing to do. 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. 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. Hed only used them for a short while at the end of his sophomore year, when he wanted to make the varsity team as a junior. I just want to get on with my life. GRAPEVINE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A high school principal at the center of a controversy in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is now on administrative leave. Brings new meaning to the phrase Sunday Funday. Colleyville Heritage High School principal James Whitfield has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Grapevine-Colleyville . ", Grapevine-Colleyville ISD issued the following statement Monday. Everyone would forget about it soon enough. On their cardboard, handmade wall, they wrote: 'Paid for by . Lt. Gov. Students at Colleyville Heritage High took the theme and ran with it in a Donald Trump-esqe direction before a game against Trinity High in Euless. Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District. Its bad enough they identified her as a cheerleader. District: Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District (ISD) SchoolDigger Rank: 370th of 1,876 Texas High Schools. When Lori Lewis learned that many players on her sons Colleyville Heritage football team were using steroids, she blew the whistle. She tries to focus on the things shes helped accomplish. Lewis jumped in her car and raced the two miles to CHHS. This story has been shared 117,245 times. Now, GOP lawmakers have turned their attention to what books children have access to in schools. Some of the photos the district received contained poses that are questionable for an educator, especially a principal or administrator. Im gonna beat your ass.. We need to make sure we're providing a healthy environment for all of them. 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 told the pharmacist she needed to vaccinate a horse. 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. No real names, anyway. The Tarrant County Narcotics Unit, now working the steroids investigation, told Lewis that her first call should have been to them months ago. Not one single day.. She couldnt even get her grass cut? Cunningham has apologized and said it was wrong to say the things he did, but I think anybody would have reacted the same way. Love will! Public school 1,974 Students Grades 9-12. Dangit, you got me!? That evening, she obsessed about its implication. And it has nearly ruined their lives. The one who could name Bryan. And the News reporters agreed that they wouldnt identify any of the other students who Bryan knew or suspected used steroids. 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. 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. They shouldnt be filing stupid lawsuits. I think its silly, I cant see why a husband and wife cant have a picture of them in a sweet moment, she said. Lewis told Beal she was left with no choice but to take her story to the media. Twitter Fam, Youve probably seen #IStandwithDrWhitfield coming across your timeline, wondering what on earth is going on. "They said, 'Could you take it down? Aria has interned at the Austin American-Statesman, the Texas Tribune and the El Paso Times. Even though it was approved by the district, the presentation was used to vilify my colleagues and me, he wrote. RANKINGS star-telegram.com/article2703187 #txhssoccer 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 . He agreed not to name the family members. It didnt take long for more questions to come. I knew it as soon as I finished the story. Last Monday, August 23, students gathered at a school board meeting to express their support for Whitfield. So I wouldnt feel comfortable mowing your lawn.. 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. But he doesnt like it., When her son talks, she stares at him intently, looking for signs that hes upset or angry. Colleyville Heritage High School is a top rated, public school located in COLLEYVILLE, TX. He's a happily married man. First published on August 30, 2021 / 5:42 PM. And even if the answer was all of them, how many had gone to Kroger and said she needed them for a horse? 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. Get out of the car, Dyer, he said. 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. , Chris Cunningham says hes trying to do something about the problem so it doesnt happen again. CHHS has several sub-administrators who are given students to oversee based on last name. By now, she had revealed her identity in subsequent newspaper stories. "Our lawyers are looking at it," she said. Hes a happily married man. He was just letting her know that he wasnt alone. Who is available? 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. Colleyville Heritage High School Unclaimed. Mother and son had always been close, though. Compare Colleyville Heritage High School to Other Schools gcisd-k12.org At Colleyville Heritage High, students rushed to defend James Whitfield, who has been accused of embracing critical race theory and is in danger of being fired. Do you value our journalism? About 20 showed up to the second meeting. Here is a look at the Top 3 girls teams in Class 5A. 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. "We're talking about a very short period, weeks," district spokeswoman Robin McClure said. Sitting at her computer in her Mid Cities work cubicle, Lewis felt disheartened as she read the story. Im gonna kick your ass.. All students and staff are safe, the school . 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. But on the other hand, if you can get a million-five from everyone who says youre a liar and youre crazy, then Im gonna get me a lawyer, and Im gonna be a rich man., EVERYONE IS MAD AT LORI LEWIS these days, either for suing the high school football coach or for not keeping her mouth shut in the first place. The misspelled word had two arrows drawn toward it for emphasis. 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. Sort of. Critical race theory, or CRT, is an academic discipline usually taught at the university level. She stared at the label, trying to concentrate as her heart rate spiked. Can you take this picture down? Not their real names, of course. Updated at 1:12 p.m. Wednesday with details throughout. I am not the CRT (Critical Race Theory) Boogeyman. Greg Abbott has called for it to be abolished in Texas schools. COLLEYVILLE HERITAGE. Its a smart school, too, well above state and national averages in students ACT and SAT scores. She wants a million-five. Ive counted. But the students at CHHS had obviously read the story. The students created a fake wall with the. 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. ", "Nothing he's done has anything to do with critical race theory," said civil rights attorney David Henderson ofEllwanger Law, which is supporting Whitfield. Phone calls can only be accepted the day of the absence. The school district announced Monday,. At least hes not a drug addict, she thought. 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. It has 2,123 students in grades 9th through 12th. It ate at her. What's wrong with the picture?' Thinks he will. Im used to it.. 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. Hes just got to get a little faster, a little bigger, a little stronger. Colleyville Heritage High School 5401 Heritage Avenue Colleyville, TX 76034 P 817-305-4700 F 817-358-4765 Like Our Page on Facebook Follow us on Twitter He marched into his mothers room and paced in front of her. 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. Were set to play more disadvantaged and diverse opponents Trinity. [email protected]. It was too quiet, she says. The district had no additional comments Monday night because it is an ongoing personnel matter, a spokeswoman said in a prepared statement. The story said one boy admitted to using them. I just want to know, Why? 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. by Brian Lopez Theyre mad at my mom because shes messing with that.. Officers on the scene have "the individual involved detained.". 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. Lewis said she didnt want the schools help. My mom catches me at everything, Bryan says. 5401 Heritage Ave, Colleyville, Texas | (817) 305-4700. Colleyville Heritage High School 5401 Heritage Avenue Colleyville, TX 76034 P 817-305-4700 F 817-358-4765 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "What he's done is said listen, we teach lots of different types of kids. 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. She didnt believe it. But they would not be more specific. Oh, that. 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. 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. 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. It was at this moment that I knew the attack that we currently endure, was coming., In a statement to KXAS-TV (NBC5), the district said the photos it received contained poses that are questionable for an educator, especially a principal or administrator. One of those parents complained about the photo and the district ordered Whitfield to take it down. "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?' Colleyville Heritage High School in Texas hosted controversial event. Some parents learned about the photo incident when they read Whitfields account on Facebook. 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. The school became the focus of national attention during a 2005 steroid scandal involving multiple student-athletes. But no names were used. 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. She went to sleep thinking it was the right thing to do. Lewis repeated that shed told him everything she knew. / CBS Texas, UPDATE: Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Releases New Statement On Decision To Put Principal James Whitfield On Paid Administrative Leave. THOSE WERE THE GROUND RULES, never in question, always understood. 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. 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 photos were from an anniversary trip. THE SECRETARY AT COLLEYVILLE HERITAGE HIGH SCHOOL asked Lori Lewis for her sons last name. Some of the photos the district received contained poses that are questionable for an educator, especially a principal or administrator. We understand that members of our community have questions, but the District does not resolve personnel matters in the media. No big deal, Bryan thought. She checked the time. 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? 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. 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. I am grateful for your partnership and look forward to working with you to serve and support the students of Colleyville Heritage High School.. "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. 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. When Ted Beal answered his phone that morning, September 23, the nightmare began for the CHHS administration. 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 . Arent they illegal now? Anna Caplan, Special Contributor. 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.. Youget home! she told him. James Whitfield at his home in Hurst on Sept. 16. Summarizing his defense, he finally blurted, Mom, the majority of the football team is taking them.. Since then, the district has stressed the move has nothing to do. 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. 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. 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. Lewis was convinced the tiny bottle held heroin, unaware that most illicit drugs are not sold with pharmaceutical labels. I can control my kids, one parent said to her during the meeting. It's something he and the district have denied. It was also about keeping up with bitter enemies from Southlake Carroll, Grapevine, Keller, all the schools on the schedule. Other people in the audience shouted in support and cheered when Clark made his remarks. They werent too happy with me, she says. Catherine writes about breaking news, crime and the Dallas Zoo. They were changed to Patrick and Michelle. 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.". 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. 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. Its why she doesnt let me talk to, or even see, her husband and younger daughter. 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. 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. Her discovery. We hid the photo, no one from above ever mentioned anything else about it, but the damage was inflicted on us in profound ways. But if were really concerned about reputations here, whose reputation has been damaged more? Anna Caplan covers McKinney, Southlake, Grapevine and Colleyville. She knew he didnt mean that literally more than half the Colleyville football team was on steroids. Going forward, Whitfield believes his work in education isnt done. In early August, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD placed Whitfield on administrative leave. 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. How did you get the syringes? It was the sort of breakthrough that could take a pointy-headed newspaper treatise and make it touch people, win awards, effect change. A few days later, he dialed the players cell phone to arrange delivery, reaching him in an SAT preparation class.. McClure said no school officials have been implicated in the matter. 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. (817) 305-4700. 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. Thats it? Show us with your support. CHHS is a big school, with more than 2,200 students and an operating budget of $136.5 million for the. 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. But he said trouble began as far back as 2019 when someone complained to administrators he was setting a "bad example" by posting pictures of himself kissing his wife on Facebook. The school went on lockdown when the incident was reported. 12. The Grapevine . 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. The one thing that bothers Lewis is how this has affected her family. Colleyville Heritage High School 5401 Heritage Avenue Colleyville, TX 76034 P 817-305-4700 F 817-358-4765 They know.. If you know that is on your trusted email list, contact your child's school office (Grade Level Learning Community, Building, or SLC) to have your email added to the system. When Bryan got inside, Lewis pointed the bottle at him. "It would be my hope that more rational minds prevail. The median household income tops $150,000. Lori Lewis carried a pair of her sons jeans into his closet. Dan Patrick has called it a ridiculous leftist narrative. Gov. Told that, McClure said she was certain the information had been passed on to the Colleyville department. In a letter to parents Monday, Superintendent Robin Ryan wrote that Whitfield has been placed on leave but that he would not go into the specifics because it is a personnel matter., Whitfield, the schools first Black principal, told The Dallas Morning News on Monday night that he was told he was put on leave indefinitely because the superintendent has determined that doing so is in the best interest of the District.. No one from the school called her. Welcome to the Colleyville Heritage PTSA Facebook Page intended to keep our parents, teachers, and students current on upcoming events and opportunities CHHS PTA is a noncommercial, nonsectarian, nonpartisan association that does not endorse any candidate or political party.