The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has opened three investigations into Carroll Independent School District in Southlake. The investigations will look into allegations of discrimination in the school district.
OCR enforces federal laws that protect students from “discrimination based on race, color, national origin, or sex.” A spokesman for the agency declined to provide any details to NBC News about the nature of the allegations, stating that they do not comment on pending investigations. The investigations follow several controversies at Carroll ISD over the years that have garnered national attention.
Three years ago, the school district came under criticism when a video of white high school students chanting a racist slur went viral. In response to the video, school leaders held listening sessions where students and parents shared stories of harassment.
The listening sessions led to the school district promising to address racism and make the school a more “welcoming” place for students from diverse backgrounds. The school district created a committee of volunteers to develop a plan for their promise to come true.
The plan they developed was titled the Cultural Competence Action Plan (CCAP). It would have required “diversity and inclusion” training for all students as part of the K-12 curriculum while explicitly prohibiting acts of discrimination, known as “microaggressions,” through an amendment in the student code of conduct.
Once CCAP was introduced, it was immediately opposed by several parents who formed The Southlake Families Political Action Committee (PAC) to fight against the implementation of the plan.
The PAC said the district was “setting up a district diversity police instead of focusing on classroom and virtual curriculum.” They had concerns about the school setting up “an environment where you are guilty until proven innocent of ‘microaggressions.'”
Allegedly the CCAP would “require students and teachers to take a ‘cultural competence test’ that can be used for shaming and discipline.” Additionally, there were concerns about the $3 million price stage that would take resources away from teachers and the classroom.
The PAC specifically mentions concerns about a new requirement on school clubs. According to the PAC’s website, “The CCAP requires all student organizations, clubs, and programs to be audited to assure culturally competent practices.” The parents in the PAC felt that would specifically impact the Christian clubs, and be a violation of the First Amendment and freedom of religion.
The Southlake Families PAC filed a lawsuit that blocked the plan from ever going into effect.
The Texas Scorecard spoke with one of the parents. “I personally feel the whole victimhood mentality is a real problem,” Tarrant County Citizen Kristin Garcia said. “The microaggressions that are listed are hugely vague and punitive. I’m a minority, my children are minorities, and yet I don’t want this. It’s not effective. It doesn’t develop resiliency in children.”
The Dallas Express reported that grassroots supporters of the PAC have now successfully placed elected candidates to the school board who support their views.
The Southlake Families PAC not only wanted to block CCAP from going into effect, but they also supported the removal of course materials that “present singular, dominant narratives” in such a way that it “may be considered offensive.”
Three of the seven members currently on Carroll ISD’s board are supported by the PAC, effectively ending any hopes for the school district’s comprehensive plan to address racism to be implemented.
Carroll ISD spokesperson Karen Fitzgerald told NBC News that the school district is “fully cooperating with this process” but declined to provide details about what is specifically being probed, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Brett Sokolow, president of the Association of Title IX Administrators, told NBC News that OCR investigations could take months or years to be resolved. He added if the investigation finds violations of students’ civil rights, the agency can require a school district to change policies and be monitored federally.