The principal of Colleyville-Heritage High School who has spoken out on racial equality on social media has been suspended, effective immediately.
In a letter to parents, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Superintendent Dr. Robin Ryan informed them that Dr. James Whitfield has been placed on paid administrative leave.
In a statement, the district called it an "ongoing personnel matter":
"On Monday, August 30, Dr. James Whitfield was placed on paid administrative leave. As this is an ongoing personnel matter, we will not comment further," the district's statement read. "We remain committed to providing a learning environment at Colleyville Heritage that fosters and encourages student academic and extracurricular achievement."
Last month during a school board meeting, a former board candidate called for Whitfield's firing for, in his view, pushing a political agenda -- specifically, critical race theory.
Whitfield said he has never pushed critical race theory and defended himself on social media after the speaker called him out by name, which is against board meeting policy.
In the lengthy Facebook post, Whitfield, who is Black, detailed how he had previously been asked to remove a Facebook photo of him and his white wife kissing during an anniversary photo shoot.
Whitfield has implied that the request had to do with his interracial marriage, but the district denies that.
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Since that July school board meeting, there has been an outpouring of support for Whitfield from the student body and the community.
Following his being placed on administrative leave, Whitfield released a statement:
"I have done nothing wrong by anyone," Whitfield said in his statement. "I've only chosen to speak up after they allowed that man to speak my name at the board meeting. Instead of speaking out against the behavior they tolerated and supporting me, they came after me."
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