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Fort Worth ISD launches investigation into substitute teacher’s posts inviting ICE to North Side High School

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By Fort Worth Report

January 27, 2025

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Fort Worth ISD is investigating a substitute teacher who, according to district officials, posted requests on social media asking U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport students from North Side High School.

In a statement posted to Facebook, Fort Worth ISD said it was aware of the posts on X, formerly Twitter, and that the teacher will not be on campus during an investigation. The district did not identify the substitute teacher.

The posts come after President Donald Trump issued a directive allowing ICE to operate in schools and churches.

“Please be assured that we are taking this situation very seriously and are committed to resolving it as quickly as possible,” school board President Roxanne Martinez said in a statement.

In one post, the teacher said he has “many students who don’t even speak English.”

“Y’all should come to Fort Worth, TX to Northside High School,” he posted, responding to an ICE enforcement update.

The X posts were under the username @HookEm232. The user listed their location as Fort Worth. The profile did not have any additional identifying information. The account is now private, but screenshots of the posts have been circulating online.

More than 6 in 10 students in Fort Worth ISD are Latino. Nearly 40% of the district’s more than 70,000 students are enrolled in bilingual or English-as-a-second-language classes.

In a statement to parents, interim Superintendent Karen Molinar assured the Fort Worth ISD community that schools will remain safe, inviting and respectful to all.

“We recognize that recent national changes in immigration policies may have left some families in our community feeling uncertain or concerned,” Molinar said. “We are here to support all of our students, families and staff.”

Molinar addressed several questions she has received from residents. She emphasized that the district does not request or seek the immigration status of students or their families. Student information is confidential under federal privacy laws.

If a parent or guardian is detained during school hours, the district will ensure the safety of students until an authorized adult can pick them up while complying with state and federal laws, Molinar said.

“We kindly ask that all of our families take this opportunity to update emergency contact information for your students at their school,” she said. “If your student has concerns about coming to school, please reach out to their campus principal or school counselor. Fort Worth ISD offers resources to support students who may need additional assistance.”

Arlington ISD issued a similar statement Jan. 24 to address community concerns about ICE appearing at schools. Arlington ISD spokesperson Anita Foster emphasized the district also does not collect immigration status. Student privacy is protected under federal law and resources are available on campuses.

Arlington ISD’s top priority is the safety, well-being and education of every student it serves regardless of their background, status or circumstances, Foster said.

“That is what Texas public schools, including Arlington ISD, do,” she said. “Recent reports regarding potential federal actions around immigration enforcement have raised understandable concerns among many of our families, students and staff.”

The 2025 incident is similar to another that occurred in Fort Worth ISD during the first Trump term. In 2019, Fort Worth ISD fired a teacher after she tweeted anti-immigrant sentiments to the president. Her firing was upheld in the courts after the Texas Education Agency initially directed the district to give the teacher her job back.

An allegedly racist incident during a September 2024 football game at Arlington Heights High School involved North Side High School. North Side High School cheerleaders reported hearing racist epithets directed toward them from an Arlington Heights High School cheering section during a football game.

An internal investigation was inconclusive. A third-party investigator is still looking into the fall incident, school board member Camille Rodriguez said during a Jan. 21 meeting.

Jacob Sanchez is a senior education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at [email protected] or @_jacob_sanchez. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

CATEGORIES: IMMIGRATION

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