Texas AG Ken Paxton accuses Coppell ISD of violating Texas’ “critical race theory” ban

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued leaders of the Coppell Independent School District for allegedly flouting state restrictions on teaching “critical race theory” in public schools, based on an undercover video published by a conservative activist group.

In the lawsuit filed last week in Dallas County, Paxton’s office accused Coppell ISD administrators of violating a state law that, among other prescriptions, prohibits schools from teaching that “one race or sex is inherently superior to another” or requiring students to understand the New York Times’ 1619 Project, a Pulitzer Prize-winning report that examined U.S. history from the date when enslaved people first arrived to America.

The school district has about 13,000 students, according to state data, most of whom are Asian and Hispanic while about a quarter are white.

The lawsuit points to a video published in February by Accuracy in Media, a group that once received support from organizations controlled by a conservative activist and philanthropist, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate and bigotry targeting marginalized communities. An Accuracy in Media spokesperson described the group as a watchdog organization with no political affiliations.

The two-minute-long video depicts an undercover representative of Accuracy in Media talking to Evan Whitfield, Coppell ISD’s director of curriculum and instruction.

“Our concern is more that they’re going to, and I don’t know where you are politically, but it’s like, learn a [Make America Great Again] version of history instead of an accurate depiction of real world events,” the undercover person told Whitfield.

“One thing that I love about this district is that despite what our state standards say and despite what, you know, is going on, we do what’s right for kids,” Whitfield responded in the video.

The remarks are among the ones cited by Paxton’s office in the lawsuit.

“Liberal administrators who want to ignore state law and unlawfully push divisive and racist CRT curriculum in classrooms will be held responsible for their actions,” Paxton said in a statement Wednesday that drew attention to the suit. “Texas children deserve to receive the best education in the world, not have woke ideology forced upon them.”

A request for comment sent to Coppell ISD spokespeople Wednesday returned an automatic response that the school system is closed this week for spring break.

Gov. Greg Abbott signed in 2021 legislation that prescribes how teachers in Texas classrooms can talk about American racism history and current events. The state joined a short list of those across the nation that sought to ban the teaching of “critical race theory” in K-12 public school classrooms — an advanced academic concept that discusses systemic racism and is more often found in law school and college syllabi, according to scholars. The discipline is not taught in public schools but the term has become shorthand for some conservatives’ criticism of how children learn about race and racism.

As the 2021 measure was debated in the Legislature, proponents argued they were trying to rid public education of personal biases. Educators and education advocates expressed worries that politics were dictating instruction for the state’s 5.5 million public schoolchildren.

The video of the Coppell ISD administrator was first published by Corey DeAngelis, a senior fellow at Accuracy in Media and self-described “school choice evangelist.”

Accuracy in Media has drawn controversy in the past, most recently in August at Columbia University. A former employee, Cliff Kincaid, was described by the Southern Poverty Law Center said as “an unrepentant propagandist for extremist right-wing causes who knows few boundaries in his attempts to smear liberal foes.” Kincaid last worked for the group in 2017, according a spokesperson for the group who disputed being characterized as "right-wing."

On Wednesday, Accuracy in Media touted its undercover video and celebrated Paxton’s office citing it in the suit.

“This lawsuit proves why investigative journalism matters,” the group said in a statement. “Accuracy in Media has repeatedly exposed how school districts violate state laws and mislead parents about what is being taught in classrooms. Now, thanks to our work, Texas is taking action.”

Disclosure: Southern Poverty Law Center and New York Times have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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