Group protests Critical Race Theory at Fort Worth ISD school board meeting

FORT WORTH, Texas - A massive crowd of parents and activists flooded the Fort Worth ISD school board meeting with a message. Many are angry over perceived curriculum in the district.

An activist group led a protest at Tuesday’s school board meeting.            

More than 100 people marched to district headquarters. Some people claim the district is focusing too much on social issues. The district has already said topics like Critical Race Theory are not officially part of any curriculum.

The school board had nothing on the agenda Tuesday related to Critical Race Theory. But that did not stop a protest, a march and a lengthy public comment session that lasted for about two hours.

West 7th Street in Fort Worth was temporarily blocked off Tuesday afternoon as a group of parents and activists marched in protest against teaching racial equity in schools.

Roughly 200 protestors made the mile-long march from a Fort Worth police and fire memorial to the Fort Worth ISD school board while chanting against CRT and demanding FWISD Superintendent Kent Scribner step down from the board. They claim he’s responsible for focusing on ideology over academics.

The district has said and continues to say CRT is not in the curriculum. Once the protesters reached district HQ, they piled into school board chambers.

CRT protestors clashed with those who say they support the district’s work towards inclusivity.

"I am a white mother of white children, and I am beyond grateful that my kids are in a district that values teaching, truth and doing the work racial equity requires," said parent Sophia Rogers.

Several scholarship students with the "My Brother’s Keeper" organization spoke out in support of expanding discussions about race in the classroom.

Another point of contention was a teacher training model called Courageous Conversations About Race. It’s meant to act as a guideline for teachers during conversations about race.

The district says it was first implemented five years ago, and it hasn’t been offered since the start of the pandemic.

It’s unclear if that training will even be allowed to continue under a new law signed by Governor Abbott.

"The Courageous Conversations is actually Critical Race Theory being programmed under a different name," claimed Sharon Hives, who lives in Fort Worth. "It’s still teaching that one race is oppressing another race."

The group that led Tuesday’s protest says the district’s perceived focus on ideology is responsible for "plummeting academic scores" and lower admissions, although they did not offer any concrete proof.

Tuesday’s heated discussion eventually caused security to step in.

And while the district maintains CRT is nowhere in the curriculum, some parents claimed it’s the reason they’ve enrolled their children in private school.