The first Black principal of a Dallas-area high school was put on paid administrative leave after a failed Republican school board candidate accused him of promoting Critical Race Theory, the Fort Worth Star Telegram reports.

Colleyville Heritage High School Principal James Whitford denied teaching or promoting the theory, which is a law school-level theory about race-based injustice in the legal system and society in general.  Whitford said in a July Facebook post that he promotes equality in education and in the classroom.  He noted that he has been the subject of racially-motivated hate speech since he was named principal in 2019, particularly after he spoke out against police violence following the murder of George Floyd.

Republican Stetson Clark, an operations manager for a capital management company who lost a 2020 school board election, publicly claimed Whitford was teaching critical race theory in July, although Whitford doesn’t actually teach classes.  Stetson points to a letter Whitford sent to parents over the summer as evidence that Whitford is teaching the theory, which as mentioned, is only taught in law schools.

“In this letter he promotes the conspiracy theory of systemic racism …” Clark said. “He is encouraging the disruption and destruction of our districts.”

Colleysville, a town with a 90% white population, is located about 30 miles northwest of Dallas.  The school, with nearly 2,000 students, is part of the  Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District