North Texas School Districts Face Federal Civil Rights Investigations

Two new federal investigations have been opened into alleged civil rights violations at Carroll Independent School District. They were launched in January by the U.S. Department of Education over allegations of retaliation and violation of federal law that guarantees free, appropriate public education for students with disabilities.

The district, which did not respond to requests for comment, is now the subject of eight civil rights investigations by the Department of Education. All of the investigations are related to alleged discrimination on the basis of disability, race, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Carroll ISD, based in Southlake, has been at the center of controversy over discrimination since at least 2018, as detailed in multiple reports from NBC News and a multipart podcast series by the network. That year, a video of white high-school students from the district chanting a racial slur went viral. This led to parents, students and graduates coming forward with their experiences of racism and anti-LGBTQ harassment in the district.

The federal civil rights investigations would be launched in the following years. Some came just a month after a district administrator told teachers they needed to provide an opposing view of the Holocaust to comply with state law.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights said it could not provide details about the ongoing investigations, including those launched most recently, on Jan. 19 and Jan. 23. All the spokesperson could disclose is which federal laws the district allegedly violated.

“As a district, we are committed to working with our families to ensure that students in our system are treated with respect and care.” – Rachel Trotter, Propser ISD

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“The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights can confirm that there are eight open investigations into Carroll ISD,” the spokesperson said in an email. “Three investigations are open under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities of 1990; two are open under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and three are open under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

Section 504 prohibits organizations and employers from denying people with disabilities an equal opportunity to receive program benefits and services, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities of 1990 prohibits public entities from discriminating based on disabilities. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 restricts discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits racial discrimination.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights keeps a running list of open investigations on its website. As of late last month, there are more than 7,300 ongoing civil rights investigations, according to the department. So far this year, the department has launched 65 civil rights investigations into allegations of discrimination on the basis of race and national origin at school districts and educational institutions across the country.

Besides the investigations of Carroll ISD, several others have been launched looking into civil rights violations at Texas school districts. Two of them stem from complaints against Irving and Prosper independent school districts. Both districts are being investigated over alleged racial harassment, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s website.

The Irving Independent School District did not respond to a request for comment. But in an emailed statement, Rachel Trotter, Prosper Independent School District’s chief communications officer, said the district “is aware of the complaint, and we take any concern very seriously.”

“As a district, we are committed to working with our families to ensure that students in our system are treated with respect and care,” Trotter said. “Because this investigation is ongoing, we are unable to provide any specific details.”

The U.S. Department of Education has ongoing investigations that were launched last year into several other North Texas school districts. These include Arlington, Grand Prairie and McKinney independent school districts, which are all being investigated over allegations of racial harassment.