Texas Principal Sees Racism in Calls to Remove Intimate Photos of Him and His White Wife on Facebook

A Texas principal believed that racism was at the forefront of his school district's decision to force him to remove intimate photos of himself and his white wife on Facebook.

James Whitfield, a Black man who served as the principal of Colleyville Heritage High School in 2019, spoke out more than a year after the incident, The New York Times reported.

Whitfield publicized his story through a Facebook post on Saturday, following a board meeting. The meeting, which was open to the public and residents of the district, happened on July 26, when he received criticism over race.

Texas Principal Speaks Out on the Intimate Photos of Him and His White Wife on Facebook

In 2019, James Whitfield noted that he received an email from the district about photos of him embracing and kissing his wife, Kerrie, on a beach taken for their anniversary a decade ago.

The Texas principal noted that the words above the picture attached to the email said, "Is this the Dr. Whitfield we want leading our school?," The Daily Mail reported.

But before checking the email, People noted that Whitfield received a phone call from the central level administrator and told him to check his email. During this time, Whitfield shared that he thought he would be congratulated for the title of principal.

The intimate photos have been posted on Whitfield's Facebook account. The Texas principal claimed that the images received complaints back then because they showed an interracial couple.

Despite hiding and making the photos of their anniversary private, James Whitfield said he wished he had the strength to say no at that time to his school district.

"I wish I had the conviction to say 'No, I'm not going to take it down,'" said Whitfield, adding that the photo was about him and his wife, and there was no reason for him to remove them.

The Texas principal also said that he showed the email he received to his wife, who immediately cried after seeing it.

In a statement acquired by The Daily Mail, Whitfield's wife said she was heartbroken for her husband. The wife noted that racism and ignorance were not cute, as she asked for prayers for their family and the people who criticized his husband.

While some people call for the Texas principal to resign, others have circulated a petition to support him. Some people also showed support for Whitfield by tweeting with the hashtag "IstandwithDrWhitfield."

James Whitfield is now the first Black principal at Colleyville Heritage High School.

Texas Principal's School District Denies 'Racism' Claims

Meanwhile, the school district, Grapevine-Colleyfield Independent School District (GCISD), denied the allegations hurled at them by the Texas principal.

"Some of the photos the district received contained poses that are questionable for an educator, especially a principal or administrator," the district noted.

The school district further noted their call to take down the Facebook photos has nothing to do with race, and the request was meant to give a smooth transition, just as the Texas principal was preparing to lead Heritage Middle School.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Writen By: Joshua Summers

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