Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Coppell school officials for teaching "critical race theory" in response to an edited video by a conservative activist that appears to show a school administrator discussing how to circumvent state education standards.
In the video, a person identified as the district's director of curriculum and instruction is seen talking about how Coppell had 鈥済otten around鈥� prohibitions on the use of so-called CRT in state policies and curricula, 鈥渂y saying, 'we鈥檙e not teaching that.'鈥�
The administrator, identified in the video as Evan Whitfield, is at one point asked whether Coppell schools are forced by Texas to teach an inaccurate, "MAGA version of history."
"One thing I love about this district is, despite what our state standards say and despite what, you know, is going on, we do what's right for kids," the man can be heard saying.
"Critical race theory" 鈥� the idea that racism is systemic and engrained in the law and public policy 鈥� is a legal framework that goes back to the 1970's, and is almost exclusively taught in post-graduate and law schools.
But in recent years, the term has been used beyond its original definition. for example, .
The man identified as Whitfield can also be heard discussing 鈥淣ext Generation Science Standards鈥� curriculum, which is used by at least 20 states in the U.S. but has not been approved by the Texas Board of Education.
focuses on the gravity of climate change, its direct impact by humans, and policy solutions for climate change.
四虎影院 reached out to the district for a comment and will update this story with any response.
鈥淟iberal administrators who want to ignore state law and unlawfully push divisive and racist CRT curriculum in classrooms will be held responsible for their actions,鈥� read a statement from Paxton Wednesday. 鈥淭exas children deserve to receive the best education in the world, not have woke ideology forced upon them. My lawsuit aims to put an immediate end to this illegal and hateful curriculum and immediately stop the blatant refusal to follow state law by certain officials at Coppell ISD.鈥�
how Texas teachers talk about current events and America鈥檚 history of racism in the classroom. The legislation aimed to ban the teaching of 鈥渃ritical race theory鈥� in K-12 public school classrooms.
The suit claims district officials acted as government officials and violated state law 鈥渂y using state or local funds or other resources of the district to develop and distribute for teaching CRT curricula.鈥�
Paxton is seeking injunctive relief which would prohibit future teachings of critical race theory.
Penelope Rivera is 四虎影院鈥檚 breaking news reporter. Got a tip? Email Penelope at privera@kera.org.
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