DALLAS — Southlake resident and former Dallas Cowboy Russel Maryland has spent the last two years pushing for Carroll ISD to adopt and implement a diversity and inclusion plan.
But at the board meeting on Monday, he spoke in support of Carroll ISD Board President Michelle Moore and Vice President Todd Carlton.
"Michelle and Todd, you have my sympathies," Maryland said. "Your families don't deserve this."
Moore and Carlton have been indicted by a Tarrant County grand jury for an incident from August 2020. Both face a misdemeanor of conspiring to circumvent for secret deliberation.
According to indictment papers, the trustees are accused of violating the Texas Open Meetings Act. Officials said Carlton and Moore communicated in a quorum outside of an authorized meeting.
The subject they discussed was the district's long-debated cultural competence action plan, according to the indictment.
Carlton and Moore were arrested Monday but both have been released, and Moore was present at Monday's board meeting.
Some families have been calling for change since a pair of videos in 2018 surfaced that showed white Carroll ISD students using racial slurs.
But the plan, which was put together by a district task force, has not yet been implemented and has been the center of ongoing debate.
Now some believe the criminal charges against Carlton and Moore are politically motivated.
Moore's attorney released the following written statement:
“It is unfortunate that this criminal prosecution has been brought due to the political and philosophical differences. We respectfully view this as a tremendous waste of resources. No one cares or has done more to protect the safety and welfare of the children of the Carroll Independent School District than Michelle Moore. On behalf of Ms. Moore look forward to being exonerated and her full attention once again being devoted to the education of our children.”
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