8 OctOber 16 - 22, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents member were under investigation for this or any other matter, Mesquite ISD would fully cooperate with TEA.” Statements from Allen and Keller ISD were similar to Mesquite’s, and a Richard- son ISD spokesperson denied the district’s involvement, stating, “TEA is not investigat- ing any of our district personnel.” According to the agency, the complaints are being reviewed to determine the next course of action. The department typically handles more extreme cases of misconduct, such as child abuse. The department can is- sue subpoenas, although it is unclear whether any complaints will progress to that point. Grand Prairie ISD told the Observer that two employees were placed on leave last month because of emails related to Kirk’s death. An internal investigation determined the comments were inappropriate but “did not appear to be an incitement of violence,” a spokesperson for the district said. “The district concluded that the postings and the comments reflected poor judgment rather than any attempt to promote or en- courage violence,” the spokesperson said. “As corrective action, the District issued the employees a written reprimand, and they have since returned to work. ... A report was submitted in compliance with the (TEA) commissioner’s directive regarding manda- tory reporting and was not intended as a rec- ommendation for certification sanction. We have had no further communication on this matter from the state.” Arlington ISD and Dallas ISD both told the Observer that the districts do not com- ment on personnel matters. Last month, KERA reported that a “longtime educator” with Dallas ISD had been suspended with pay over posts made to his personal social media account that were critical of Kirk. One of the comments was a quote by the poet Oscar Wilde. “I don’t have any idea how many are go- ing through this same experience,” Dallas Alliance AFT President Rena Honea told KERA. “But it is happening across the state. These people are exercising their First Amendment right. It’s on their own time, on their personal space.” Nonetheless, Republican leaders have vowed there will be consequences for any Kirk-related or Kirk-adjacent rhetoric that can be construed as negative. On Sept. 15, Gov. Greg Abbott announced on social media that the state agency was in- vestigating more than 100 teachers. Abbott called for those teachers to become “ineligi- ble to teach in a Texas public school” if found to have “called for or incited violence” following Kirk’s assassination. While the TEA cannot directly fire teach- ers, agency commissioner Mike Morath has said he will recommend the State Board for Educator Certification suspend the licenses of teachers found to have “proliferated such vile content.” In at least two Houston-area districts, Goose Creek Consolidated ISD and Klein ISD, employees have been terminated for comments related to Kirk’s death. In Abilene, Wylie ISD accepted the resignation letters of two educators found to have made “unacceptable” comments. According to Aaron Terr, director of pub- lic advocacy for the Foundation for Individ- ual Rights and Expression (FIRE), the free speech advocacy organization has sent let- ters to “several” districts, “urging them to refrain from disciplining staff simply for ex- pressing controversial opinions.” In many cases, social media posts about Kirk’s death were made to personal accounts outside of school hours, making the expression consti- tutionally protected. “The Supreme Court has long held that (government employees) can be disciplined for personal speech on matters of public concern only if it seriously disrupts the workplace or their ability to do their jobs, not simply because it causes offense or pub- lic controversy,” Terr said. “What’s espe- cially troubling is the political pressure from top state officials … demanding swift retri- bution against educators based on disap- proval of their actual or perceived views. That’s now how free speech works.” The full list of North Texas districts iden- tified by TEA as having an employee or em- ployees subject to complaint is: Allen ISD, Arlington ISD, Carrollton ISD, Cedar Hill ISD, Corsicana ISD, Dallas ISD, Denton ISD, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD, Fort Worth ISD, Frisco ISD, Grand Prairie ISD, Irving ISD, Keller ISD, Lake Dallas ISD, Lewisville ISD, McKinney ISD, Mesquite ISD, Plano ISD, Prosper ISD, Richardson ISD, Rockwall ISD and the Trinity Basin Preparatory char- ter school district. ▼ LGBTQ+ NO POT OF GOLD TEXAS GOVERNOR THREATENS TO WITHOLD FUNDS FROM CITIES WITH RAINBOW CROSSWOALKS. BY EMMA RUBY The rainbow crosswalks paving the way for pedestrians along Cedar Springs Road could be in jeopardy thanks to a directive issued by Gov. Greg Abbott last week. In the name of “roadway safety,” Abbott announced that he has directed the Texas Department of Transportation to crack down on road compliance measures, specifi- cally ensuring that “political ideologies” aren’t displayed through road paint or sig- nage. Cities and counties have 30 days to get into compliance before their road funding could come under threat, Axios re- ports. While Abbott’s announcement does not explicitly call out rainbow crosswalks, the governor’s announcement came just one week after a neighborhood in Houston re- painted its colorful crosswalks. “Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, not advance political agendas on Texas roadways,” Abbott an- nounced. “Any city that refuses to comply with the federal road standards will face consequences, including the withholding or denial of state and federal road funding and suspension of agreements with Tx- DOT.” Dallas’ rainbow crosswalks received a facelift in June of this year, courtesy of the North Texas LGBTQ Chamber of Com- merce. Chamber CEO Tony Vedda told The Dallas Voice the crosswalks were a “bold, visible reminder of the strength and resil- ience of our LGBTQ+ community.” When we got Vedda on the phone Wednesday af- ternoon, he hadn’t yet heard of Abbott’s di- rective. A statement from the chamber empha- sized that the Cedar Springs Road cross- walks were privately funded, not paid for by taxpayer dollars as Abbott suggested. “What began as an act of love and civic pride is now being mischaracterized as a po- litical controversy. That is disheartening,” the statement said. “Our purpose has never been political. It has been—and remains— about safety, visibility and authenticity. The rainbow crosswalks serve as a welcoming signal that everyone belongs and that every Texan should be able to walk their streets without fear or shame.” While the city has assisted with the in- stallation of the crosswalks in the past, a spokesperson said that Marilla Street wants to hear something a bit more official than a press release before making any changes to Cedar Springs Road. “The city of Dallas has not yet received direct communication from the state. When we do, we will review the correspondence and investigate what steps are necessary,” a city spokesperson told the Observer. President Donald Trump has backed an ongoing push to eliminate politically moti- vated “asphalt art,” although the existence of the LGBTQ+ community is not inherently political. In July, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy sent states a letter listing “compliance concerns” such as “non-stan- dard” colors on the roads. Duffy later called out rainbow crosswalks specifically on so- cial media as a target of the administration. Florida issued a similar memo, resulting in the overnight removal of the rainbow crosswalk outside of the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, where 49 people were killed in a shooting in 2016. ▼ HOMELESSNESS STOP US IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS BEFORE COULD TINY HOMES BE DALLAS’ SOLUTION TO HOMELESSNESS? BY EMMA RUBY T he Dallas City Council is looking out- side of city limits for new strategies to combat chronic homelessness. The Housing and Homelessness Solu- tions Committee gathered recently for the first time since Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson announced new committee assignments at the end of August. The newly appointed chair of the committee, Council member Cara Mendelsohn, said she hopes the brief- ing on the ways other cities are getting the unhoused off the streets will start a process that could eventually bring new methods of care to Dallas. Two groups, Pallet Shelter and Our Call- ing, introduced two different tiny home vil- lage models that can be used to create short- or long-term housing villages for the chronically homeless. The briefing came as the city continues to face increased scrutiny about the handling of encampments and downtown homelessness. While the city claims to have ended downtown homeless- ness, its definition isn’t as literal as some Dallasites would expect or hope. “The data doesn’t match,” said Men- delsohn. “Every shelter is telling me we’re full. Not just that we’re full, we’re using overflow space.” The first briefing was by Patrick St. Mary, a representative for Pallet Shelters. The company has deployed prefabricated shel- ters in 120 cities, and St. Mary said the most successful villages see around 60% of ten- ants transition to permanent housing after staying at the shelter. Tenants typically stay in a unit for six to 12 months, and the most basic home is around 70 square feet, with enough room for a single bed and a desk area. Hygiene facilities, wraparound services and meal areas are offered on site. If brought to Dallas, the city would likely pay up-front costs for the shelters (around $1.2 Alex Gonzalez A rainbow crosswalk in the Cedar Springs/ Oak Lawn neighborhood, where the nightlife scene is gold. Unfair Park from p8 >> p10
