Southlake Carroll says feds didn’t provide facts concerning civil rights complaints

Carroll school board president Cameron Bryan said the district did not receive findings of fact or legal conclusions in a letter from the Department of Education, three years after discrimination complaints were filed.

Bryan spoke after several parents pleaded with the school board to provide answers to the community concerning negotiations with the Department of Education after the NAACP Legal Defense Fund reported last week that the DOE Office for Civil Rights requested to negotiate with the district after completing a three-year investigation into complaints of discrimination concerning race, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Bryan said the Carroll school district received a “proposed resolution” from the Education Department on May 6, but that it did not include findings of facts or legal conclusions.

“This board, this district and this legal counsel were the only entities that were sent these proposed resolutions,” Bryan said.

Bryan also urged people to refrain believing from lies portrayed on social media — and by some in the news media.

“”We should be privy to what was concluded,” he said of the letter.

Bryan said the Education Department would not provide information, and said there will be a conference call to discuss the issues.

The incidents described in the complaints occurred before Superintendent Lane Ledbetter was hired and brought in his administration and before most of the trustees were elected, Bryan said.

Before Bryan spoke, several parents pleaded with the board to negotiate in good faith saying children were harmed because of the school district’s failure to stop the bullying and harassment.

Elisha Rurka said she has gathered over 200 signatures from parents asking the district to negotiate.

‘I am not a liberal. I am not a crazy Marxist socialist. I don’t think you are people who hate our kids. Please lead. Please move this community forward,” she said.

Russell Maryland, who played for the Dallas Cowboys and whose children attended Carroll schools, pointed out that Ledbetter said he would comply with the DOE if there were violations.

When asked about Bryan’s statements, Maryland said, “They are digging in their heels. I will continue to pray and to advocate.”

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights notified the school district that students civil rights were violated.

The findings came from four complaints filed in April 2021 describing discrimination and bullying over race, gender, and sexual orientation.

The complaints were filed when the district failed to provide adequate protections for students who faced harassment including homophobic and racial slurs.

Carroll has 90 days to negotiate with the DOE or face losing federal funding or enforcement from the Justice Department.

The NAACP Legal Defense Fund represented the parents and students who filed the federal complaints.

Attorneys for the legal defense fund told the Star-Telegram previously that it is rare for a school district not to negotiate a resolution to civil rights violations with department of education officials.

On Tuesday, parents who are members of Cultural and Racial Equity for Every Dragon (CREED) Dignity for All Texas Students and the Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition (SARC) held a news conference, demanding that the school board take action and that the district negotiate in good faith with the DEO on resolving the complaints.

The suggested remedies include more diversity training and hiring of more teachers and staff of color.

Last week, Carroll trustees also voted 6-0 to “denounce” the Biden Administration’s recent amendments to Title IX to add protections for pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the Biden Administration to block the rules from taking effect in August.