Ledbetter said he is well aware of both sides of the argument but emphasized the need for unity as a solution to the issue.
“I’m going to be very clear,” Ledbetter said. “I don’t think we’re going to solve the problem on social media, ... in public comment, ... in the courtroom. It’s going to be solved by bringing people together in this community and sitting down with a willingness to work together.”
Ledbetter said he has received a lot of emails and feedback from community members about the CCAP but has been unable to respond due to a temporary restraining order against the district, which was put in place in early December.
“The only way I know to operate is to have a conversation, to sit down individually in small groups or large groups. Let’s work through this,” Ledbetter said.
The current restraining order prevents further administrative work on the plan, including clarification, revision, publication or implementation. The order applies to the CISD board of trustees and any involved district subcommittees.
Conversations in the district related to racial discrimination began in 2018 after a video surfaced on social media showing a district student chanting racial slurs. The CCAP’s first draft was initially introduced in the summer of 2020.
Over the weekend, a video compilation created by the Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition that shows community members speaking against the CCAP was shared by singer and Dallas-Fort Worth native Demi Lovato on Instagram. The post garnered more than 166,000 likes.
“The longer we have the division in the community, the longer it’s going to take to get past this,” Ledbetter said. “I don’t want this to be the reputation of Carroll ISD. I want the reputation of Caroll ISD to be excellent. I don’t want the division to continue. We’re going to bring people together, and we’re going to get through this.”
