Carroll school board president, vice president indicted on Open Meetings Act violations
A Tarrant County grand jury indicted the Carroll school board president and vice president on charges they violated the Texas Open Meetings Act by sending text messages concerning a proposed diversity plan.
The grand jury indictment says that Michelle Moore and Todd Carlton knowingly engaged in communications outside of a meeting about the district’s Cultural Competence Action Plan.
The indictments stem from a lawsuit that Southlake parent Kristin Garcia filed last year alleging that the board members communicated about the district’s diversity plan through text messages. The lawsuit claims the communication was about board business which was not conducted during an authorized meeting.
The suit alleges that the board members communicated about the plan before an Aug. 20 meeting.
Moore referred comments to her attorney, Mark Daniel.
Daniel said in a written statement, “It is unfortunate that this criminal prosecution has been brought due to political and philosophical differences. We respectfully view this as a tremendous waste of resources. No one cares more or has done more to protect the safety and welfare of the children of the Carroll Independent School District than Michelle Moore. On behalf of Ms. Moore, we look forward to being exonerated and her full attention once again being devoted to the education of our children.”
Carlton could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
WFAA reported that Moore and Carlton were arrested and released Monday.
Julie Thannum, spokeswoman for the Carroll school district, wrote in an email to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the district learned of the indictments on Monday.
“The CISD Administration remains focused on providing a safe and caring learning environment for all students. We stand committed to our Dragon core values and will work with the community and our School Board to continue to foster public trust,” Thannum wrote.
Jonathan Saenz, a spokesman for the Texas Values Coalition, an organization that opposes the cultural competence plan, said he was not surprised that Moore and Carlton were indicted.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if additional Carroll ISD board members are also indicted when the investigation is finally complete. These policymakers are learning the hard way that just because you make the law, it doesn’t mean you can break the law,” he said.
But Russell Maryland, who served on the 63-member District Diversity Committee, which spent over two years working on the plan, said he is frustrated that roadblocks are preventing the district form moving forward and adopting the plan.
The plan came about after two videos surfaced on social media of Carroll High School students chanting the n-word.
Maryland said he could not comment on the indictments, but said he is disappointed that the plan has been derailed.
“Everyone who has been connected with that plan has been under fire,” he said.
“The school board asked us to step up and serve on the committee, and we did it. Michelle Moore was on that committee with me, and you can see that Michelle Moore has paid a hefty price because of it,” he said.
“You have a small but very vocal group of oppositional forces that have consistently targeted people over the past eight months. That doesn’t surprise anyone who has been paying attention,” Maryland said.
This story was originally published April 6, 2021 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Carroll school board president, vice president indicted on Open Meetings Act violations."