GRAPEVINE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – Parents in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD got their first chance to address the school board since a teacher resigned last week after being recorded on video making an offensive comment.
That comment suggesting conservative Christians should get COVID-19 die has some parents concerned it’s an example of a broader problem within the district.
This all started with a private casual conversation between teachers in the hallway of a school.
But it quickly ballooned into a very public discussion about whether district’s mission to treat everyone equally extends to Christian conservatives.
It’s barely audible on a recording by someone inside Colleyville Middle School.
But it was clear enough that the teacher who said that would face big trouble before she made the decision to resign.
Monday night, Feb. 28, parents who identify as Christian conservatives complained to the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD school board that they don’t believe those are the feelings of just one teacher in the district.
“I have a profound sadness for the attack of conservative Christians who are in this community,” said one parent at the podium. “It’s just evidence of what parents have been sensing all along.”
“I can’t help but ask myself why did the other teacher say something would this be the first time the teacher expressed the sentence? If not, perhaps it would explain why there was a camera there ready to record their conversation,” said another.
In a statement released last week the district called the former teacher’s comments inexcusable.
But some parents spoke in defense of the former teacher, including one parent who told the board it was unfair to hold them accountable for something they thought they were saying in private.
“Did anyone ever stop to think about why she said what she said? If you listen for a moment I’ll tell you what I hear. I hear frustration. I hear exhaustion. And she isn’t alone. All of our teachers have been pushed past the breaking point,” said another.
One parent expressed concerns about the former teacher’s safety based on what’s been posted on social media.
The school board did not respond to any of the public comments.
