Van Duyne says civil rights probe of Carroll ISD is intimidation by Biden Administration
U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne is conducting her own investigation into the Department of Education Civil Rights complaints that were filed against the Carroll school district, stating that they are an overreach by the Biden Administration.
Van Duyne issued the statement in a press release Thursday.
“We cannot allow this administration to operate in the shadows, refusing to answer questions or provide details of their investigations. Recently the Southlake community made their stance on the pressure to enforce CRT policies in schools clear with an over 70% vote in favor of an anti-CRT candidate,” Van Duyne said.
“Voting against Democrats and liberal policies is not illegal and does not warrant a federal investigation, and I stand with parents, students, and local leaders to shine a light on this overreach,” she said in the news release.
Earlier this week, the Civil Rights office of the Department of Education confirmed that it is launching three investigations involving race and gender, but did not provide details.
The school district also didn’t provide details other than to confirm that it is cooperating and providing requested documents.
Superintendent Lane Ledbetter said in his weekly Dragon Update video on Thursday that the complaints were filed with the Department of Education in April, but the Carroll school district did not receive the notification letter until Nov. 12. He said that the complaints were filed by an advocacy group, but did not name the group.
“No determination has been made with respect to the validity of these complaints,” he said.
Ledbetter also said that over the summer, Carroll administration worked on getting a plan in place to address concerns about harassment, bullying and racism, adding that the district does not tolerate those behaviors.
In August, the board received information about the plan, he said. He added that his utmost responsibility is for the safety of students and staff and to the community.
Southlake Mayor John Huffman also weighed in, criticizing the timing of the civil rights complaint on his Facebook page.
Huffman said that it was poor timing for the district to receive the complaint just after a new school board member was elected.
Huffman said that the complaint will make it more difficult for Ledbetter to move forward with unifying the district and providing a world class education to Carroll students.
“The district will incur more legal bills at a time when our tax dollars should be focused on supporting our teachers and students. It will take considerable time and energy from district staff. It may deter or delay the district from moving forward with programs or policies that address the real concerns that have been raised by our parents,” Huffman said.
“I don’t think I am alone in wondering if this investigation is retaliation for our voters rejecting the pro-CRT CCAP plan, especially since the threat to involve the federal government was made by some CCAP supporters to the media,” Huffman said in his post.
This story was originally published November 19, 2021 at 3:36 PM.