Black principal of mainly white Texas school forced to quit over critical race theory

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A Black principal of a white-majority high school in Texas was forced to resign after being embroiled in controversy for promoting the critical race theory, which explores how race and racism have shaped American law.

The Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District on Monday finalised a “settlement and separation agreement” with Colleyville Heritage High School principal James Whitfield.

Mr Whitfield, the first Black principal of the high school, was placed on paid administrative leave in August after a school board candidate accused him of holding extreme views on race and demanded that he be fired. The principal was also accused of indoctrinating students.

As per the deal between the school district and the principal, he will remain on paid administrative leave till August 2023.

In a joint statement, the principal and the school district said they have “mutually agreed to resolve their disputes”.

“This is beyond me,” Mr Whitfield told NBC News. “I’m hopeful that we can use this to move forward and to progress, get some true meaningful change and for people to be okay with teaching truth, people to be okay with embracing inclusivity and diversity, celebrating every student that walks through the doors of our schools.”

Although the school district will continue to pay his present salary, he will be restricted from work-related communications unless asked by district officials to provide consulting services.

In September, Mr Whitfield had said that his “unapologetic stance” on inclusion was the only reason for the school authorities to push him out.

“All I’ve done is tried to create a space where all students, regardless of their race, ethnicity, you know, their religion, sexual orientation. I’ve tried to create a space where all students feel safe to come to school and for some people, that is not what school is supposed to be in their point of view,” he said.

In June this year, Texas governor Greg Abbott signed a bill to ban the critical race theory from being taught in schools. At least seven other Republican-led states, including Arkansas, Idaho, Tennessee and Oklahoma, have outlawed teaching it in public schools. Some of those bans, like the one in Oklahoma, have barred the topic on college campuses as well as in K-12 schools.

The term gained prominence among conservative Americans in the wake of the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by a white Minneapolis police officer in May 2020.