Sens. Cruz, Cornyn, Rep. Van Duyne, Colleagues Demand Answers From Department of Education For Their Political Investigation of Carroll ISD in Southlake, Texas

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas 24^th) were joined by their colleagues Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C. 5^th), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona demanding the agency provide information about why they have launched an investigation for allegations of racial and gender discrimination at the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake, Texas.

In the letter, the senators and members of Congress wrote:

“Based on recent actions by the Biden administration, we fear your Department will weaponize federal resources to intimidate parents who disagree with the policies of this administration and voiced their objections overwhelmingly and lawfully through local elections held in May of this year. Furthermore, given Carroll ISD’s achievements in education, we are concerned the Department will conduct an authoritarian-style retaliation against the community.”

The senators and members of Congress demanded answers to the following questions:

1. What initiated the investigation that OCR is conducting?
2. What criteria must be met for the Department to launch a formal investigation?
3. During the investigation process, how are you planning to engage the community of Southlake and inform the parents and local leaders about the investigation?
4. What is the estimated cost to the taxpayer to conduct this investigation?
5. At any point, or at the end of an investigation, is any information sent to or referred to the Department of Justice?

Read the full text of the letter here and below.

 

November 18, 2021

The Honorable Miguel Cardona

Secretary 

Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue

Washington, D.C. 20202-3100

 

Dear Secretary Cardona,

We write to you today to request information on the investigation being conducted by the Department of Education (Department) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) about the allegations of racial and gender discrimination at Carroll Independent School District (ISD) in Southlake, Texas.

Carroll ISD has an exceptional record, boasting a zero percent dropout rate, is one of the largest districts in the state of Texas to earn the top rating of “Exemplary” by the Texas Education Agency, and has won the coveted UIL Lone Star Cup for four years running. We acknowledge that the Department is legally obligated to investigate allegations of discrimination. However, at a time when students are suffering from crippling learning loss due to union-forced lockdowns and this administration’s policies, we are concerned the Department will use this complaint to launch a politically motivated investigation of a thriving district whose parents disagree with this administration’s policies.

Based on recent actions by the Biden administration, we fear your Department will weaponize federal resources to intimidate parents who disagree with the policies of this administration and voiced their objections overwhelmingly and lawfully through local elections held in May of this year. Furthermore, given Carroll ISD’s achievements in education, we are concerned the Department will conduct an authoritarian-style retaliation against the community. 

To address these troubling developments, we request responses to the following questions within 30 days:

• What initiated the investigation that OCR is conducting?

• What criteria must be met for the Department to launch a formal investigation?

• During the investigation process, how are you planning to engage the community of Southlake and inform the parents and local leaders about the investigation?

• What is the estimated cost to the taxpayer to conduct this investigation?

• At any point, or at the end of an investigation, is any information sent to or referred to the Department of Justice?

Clearly, if the Department feels an investigation is merited, the questions listed above should be easy to answer and there should be no justification to hide those answers from the public.

Additionally, we request any documents related to this investigation be appropriately preserved for congressional review and oversight.

We look forward to your response, and if you have any questions please contact Brayden Woods at (202) 225-6605 or at Brayden.Woods@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely,

/s/

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