Parents protest Carroll schools’ diversity plan, saying it promotes ‘reverse racism’

Parents upset about a plan to address racism and gender bias that has not yet been approved spoke against it during the Carroll school district board meeting Monday, saying that it promoted “reverse racism” and left-leaning policies.

During the public comment period that lasted over two hours, parents accused district officials of implementing the Cultural Competence Action Plan during teacher training last week and criticized the terms “de-centering whiteness” and “white privilege.”

School board president Michelle Moore told the audience that the plan had not been approved and that the board was going to discuss having committees to review the plan.

But parents said the plan encouraged “victim” mentality rather than focusing on children learning how to stand up for themselves.

Mary Tamargo said she opposes the plan and said she came to Southlake for the family-oriented culture.

She accused school officials of “dismantling the school district.”

“My child doesn’t know what minority means. This school district is in full implementation of the Cultural Competence Plan,” she said.

“Denigrating one race to elevate another is not going to create equality. I grew up in poverty. I teach my child that the color of your skin doesn’t matter. The school district has no business teaching anything else.”

Several speakers urged trustees to hold off on approving the plan until a new superintendent is hired. David Faltys announced that he is retiring in January after 15 years as superintendent.

Kathy Del Calvo said she worries about her grandchildren and that they are learning to be victims rather than how to stand up for themselves.

“There seems to be a total lack of management in the district right now, and it’s frightening,” she said.

“What I cannot accept is that these ideologies are being forced on my grandchildren. They are all minorities. They do not need to be treated special. They can stand on their own. Their race and ethnicity means nothing. We’ve taught them that hard work will get them everywhere.”

But Jennifer Fonseca said she wants to see a “bipartisan solution for the plan. She described how she was threatened after protesting with students who gathered in front of the Carroll administration building who called for the district to move forward with the cultural competence plan.

“Southlake won’t be known for football; it will be known for ostracizing people,” she said.

On Aug. 3, the school board voted 5-2 to receive the plan so that parents and others could meet to review it and discuss making changes to the document.

Several trustees said they were not given adequate information about the cultural competence plan and that the community wasn’t given a chance to review it.

This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 10:14 PM.