May 7, 2025
Today, Coppell Independent School District (CISD) announces a decisive legal victory as the baseless lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton alleging CISD was teaching Critical Race Theory has been dismissed with prejudice — a complete and final rejection of all Paxton’s claims, signaling they cannot be refiled.
Coppell ISD believes this lawsuit, riddled with demonstrably false allegations and intentionally misleading content, was nothing more than a politically motivated attack. The court’s dismissal underscores what CISD has maintained from the start: these claims were frivolous, unreasonable and entirely without foundation.
The centerpiece of the Attorney General’s case — a heavily edited and manipulated video from more than two years ago — was grossly misleading and designed to take innocent remarks out of context. It was weaponized to create controversy where none existed.
“This ruling is not just a victory for Coppell ISD — it's a victory for every student, educator, and family who believes in the power of public education. Our community refused to be intimidated by falsehoods and political games,” said School Board President David Caviness, “We stood firm for truth and our children's future. Coppell ISD will never be distracted from our mission to serve and educate every student who calls this district home.”
Notably, well before filing this lawsuit, the Attorney General’s Office had already obtained CISD’s full curriculum and compliance policies through a Texas Public Information Act request. These documents, produced on March 7, 2025, clearly demonstrated that CISD adheres fully to the state-mandated TEKS curriculum and does not teach Critical Race Theory (CRT). In other words, the Attorney General knew — or should have known — that the allegations were false before the lawsuit was ever filed, wasting taxpayer money, staff members’ time and district resources.
The petition filed by the Attorney General was not only legally and factually groundless, but also filed for improper purposes, including to harass and damage a public school district for political gain. The timing of the suit — filed on March 13, 2025, in the midst of statewide debates over public education funding and private school vouchers — lays bare the cynical, partisan intent behind it.
"This lawsuit was never about justice. This was about generating headlines, scoring political points and undermining public education," said Superintendent Dr. Brad Hunt.
CISD affirms that beyond the reputational damage inflicted on the district and its officials, this reckless legal action wasted taxpayer dollars across the state, with an especially significant impact on the families, communities and staff within CISD. The damage done — for purely political purposes — is unacceptable and must not be repeated.
The time, energy, and resources our district was forced to spend on this baseless lawsuit took away from what matters most — educating and supporting the amazing students of Coppell ISD.
CISD remains focused on providing a high-quality, lawful, excellent and rigorous education to all its students. The district will not be distracted or deterred by politically driven attempts to distort our mission or mislead the public.
The case is closed. The truth prevailed.