Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Resolves Lawsuit with Coppell ISD Over Critical Race Theory
May 6, 2025
Updated May 7, 2025 at 5:15 p.m. CDT
Update:
5:15 p.m. May 7, 2025: This story has been updated to include a statement from district officials.
Background of the Lawsuit
After suing Coppell ISD, alleging educators were breaking state law by teaching critical race theory, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Tuesday he “resolved” the case with the district.
The development was hailed by the district as a “decisive legal victory.”
The lawsuit, filed in March, based its claims on a hidden-camera recording originally published in 2023 by a group called Accuracy in Media. Video appeared to show a Coppell ISD administrator discussing ways to get around the state’s anti-CRT laws. District officials insisted in a court filing that the footage was “heavily edited and manipulated so to be grossly misleading.”
Understanding Critical Race Theory
Critical race theory is an academic framework that probes the way policies and laws uphold systemic racism — such as in education, housing or criminal justice. In recent years, many conservatives conflated it with work aimed at making schools more equitable for students.
Political Implications
Political Points
In 2021, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law aiming to eliminate critical race theory from public schools, though it did not use those three words.
Resolution of the Lawsuit
In Tuesday‘s announcement, Paxton said the lawsuit was resolved after district officials “voluntarily took measures to ensure that unlawful critical race theory (“CRT”) will not be taught in its classrooms.”
Those measures included disavowing the theory and circulating to staff Texas laws surrounding the teaching of race and the importance of being fully compliant with state law, according to the news release.
Response from Coppell ISD Officials
Coppell ISD officials issued a statement Wednesday, which said the lawsuit was “riddled with demonstrably false allegations and intentionally misleading content.”
“This lawsuit was never about justice. This was about generating headlines, scoring political points and undermining public education,” Superintendent Brad Hunt said in the statement.
The statement also points out that the AG’s office obtained the district’s full curriculum through a records request before the lawsuit was filed. Those records show the district does not teach critical race theory, according to the statement.
“In other words, the Attorney General knew — or should have known — that the allegations were false before the lawsuit was ever filed, wasting taxpayer money, staff members’ time and district resources,” the statement said.
Related Issues
Conclusion
The resolution of the lawsuit between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Coppell ISD has significant implications for the teaching of critical race theory in public schools. While the district has emerged with a “decisive legal victory,” the issue remains a contentious one in the state. As the debate continues, it is essential to understand the complexities of critical race theory and its role in education.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is critical race theory?
Critical race theory is an academic framework that examines how policies and laws perpetuate systemic racism in areas such as education, housing, and criminal justice.
Why did Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sue Coppell ISD?
Paxton sued Coppell ISD alleging that educators were teaching critical race theory in violation of state law.
How did Coppell ISD respond to the lawsuit?
Coppell ISD officials denied the allegations, stating that the lawsuit was “riddled with demonstrably false allegations and intentionally misleading content.”
What was the outcome of the lawsuit?
The lawsuit was resolved after district officials “voluntarily took measures to ensure that unlawful critical race theory (“CRT”) will not be taught in its classrooms.”
