Coppell ISD Officials Fight Back Against Lawsuit
Coppell ISD officials want Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against the district thrown out, saying it is “political fodder” against public schools based on a manipulated hidden-video recording, according to court filings.
Officials allege in their counterclaim filed Tuesday that efforts to discredit Coppell and other public schools’ educators are being made to influence debates over school choice.
“Why? To provide the Attorney General with political fodder against public school districts such as CISD during the current debate and upcoming votes in the Texas Legislature about private school vouchers and public school funding,” the filing read. “This is an improper purpose.”
Background of the Lawsuit
Coppell ISD officials said they could not comment on pending litigation when reached Friday.
In a recent message to parents and staff, Superintendent Brad Hunt addressed the suit and wrote the district is “committed to providing a high-quality education that follows the state curriculum.”
The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Critical Race Theory and Texas Law
In March, Paxton accused Coppell school officials of breaking state law by teaching students critical race theory and pushing “woke ideology.”
The attorney general’s office referred to a hidden camera recording filmed by a group called Accuracy in Media that appeared to show a Coppell ISD administrator evading the state’s “prohibitions on the use of CRT in state policies and curricula,” according to a statement from his office announcing the suit.
Critical race theory is a framework that explores how policies and laws uphold systemic racism. It was largely debated in academia. In recent years, many conservatives conflated it with work aimed at making schools more equitable for students.
In 2021, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law to eliminate critical race theory from schools.
Counterclaim and Defense
In Coppell’s counterclaim, district officials deny teaching CRT in classrooms.
They argue the lawsuit was filed to “harass public school districts and their officials” as lawmakers debate a school voucher-style program that would allow public money to pay for a private education.
The filing notes that the video of the Coppell administrator was online for more than two years, yet Paxton filed the suit on March 13, days after the House began work on its version of a school choice bill.
Video Recording and Manipulation
Coppell school officials insist the video recording is more than two years old and “heavily edited and manipulated so to be grossly misleading.”
In the video, a person is heard asking a Coppell school administrator whether Abbott’s orders will affect what students learn. The video does not detail what order is being referenced.
The district leader responds that he does not believe so because school administrators have “gotten around” the ban by not classifying curriculum and “tap dance around calling it anything.”
Conclusion and Next Steps
The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.
The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, Judy and Jim Gibbs, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Ron and Phyllis Steinhart, Solutions Journalism, Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks, and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the lawsuit about?
The lawsuit is about Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accusing Coppell ISD of teaching critical race theory and pushing “woke ideology” in violation of state law.
What is critical race theory?
Critical race theory is a framework that explores how policies and laws uphold systemic racism.
What is the Coppell ISD’s response to the lawsuit?
Coppell ISD officials deny teaching CRT in classrooms and argue that the lawsuit was filed to “harass public school districts and their officials” as lawmakers debate a school voucher-style program.
