The Christian conservative Patriot Mobile donated signs that read “In God We Trust” to Southlake schools Monday.
The Texas-based wireless provider is tied to Patriot Mobile Action, a political action committee that spent big money to support conservatives in North Texas school board races this year.
During Monday night’s Carroll ISD board meeting, the company made a presentation related to a new state law, which passed last year, that requires a public school to display the national motto if a poster or framed copy is donated to the campus.
Scott Coburn, chief marketing officer for the company, held up one of the framed blue posters, emblazoned with the national motto in white, all caps above the American flag while addressing the board.
“Patriot Mobile is here today to donate these beautiful ‘In God We Trust’ framed posters for each school,” Coburn said before posing for a photo with the trustees. “A full 15% of Patriot Mobile’s employees live here in Southlake. We live here. Our kids attend school here.”
The donation faced backlash ahead of the meeting, with the student-led Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition raising awareness Sunday about the “concerning things on the agenda.”
But two community members praised the donation during the public comment portion of the meeting, immediately following Coburn’s presentation.
“There’s a lot of criticism out there of course going on in social media,” Kelly McGuire said. “I just wanted to take this opportunity to remind everybody that last year admin allowed ‘Black Lives Matter’ signs on the senior high campus for about a semester, several days a week. So I’m not sure how people can complain on one hand about these signs under Texas law, and on the other hand, allow BLM signs.”
Earlier this month, the PAC showcased former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon celebrating its help “flipping” four school boards, according to its website. The mobile company put $500,000 into supporting conservative candidates in four Tarrant County school board races: Carroll, Grapevine-Colleyville, Keller and Mansfield, according to the Texas Tribune.
The PAC is outspoken about putting its Christian conservative values into action.
“We support and defend our First Amendment Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion, our Second Amendment Right to Bear Arms, protect the Sanctity of Life and always support our Veterans and First Responders. We will take action in supporting organizations and candidates that exemplify these values,” its website reads.
Southlake has been at the center of a firestorm over how race, gender and sexuality are taught.
Last year, the district garnered national attention as a symbol for what backlash against critical race theory in schools looks like after an administrator advised educators to teach students about the Holocaust from “opposing” perspectives, according to an audio recording obtained by NBC News.
In November, the U.S. Department of Education opened three civil rights investigations into “allegations related to discrimination based on race, color, national origin, or sex” in Southlake schools.
Carroll trustees are sought-after speakers in conservative circles to discuss how to “take back” school boards.
The fight over critical race theory and whether it is taught in public schools has dominated school board meetings over the past year and seeped into many local and national elections.
The often-misunderstood concept — an academic framework that analyzes how laws and policies uphold systemic racism — isn’t taught in K-12 schools, but conservatives often conflate schools’ work around diversity, inclusion and equity with the concept.
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