AIM Investigation Fuels Texas AG’s Court Win Over Austin ISD, ABC’s KVUE Reports
September 17, 2025
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday announced a legal victory against Austin ISD after claiming the district violated state law by allowing the teaching of concepts related to critical race theory, or CRT.
Paxton’s lawsuit accused the district of not adhering to a state law that requires teachers to address controversial or widely debated issues “objectively and in a manner free from political bias.”
While the law does not explicitly name CRT – an academic framework typically taught in graduate-level courses that examines how race and racism influence laws and institutions – the teaching has been at the center of political debate in Texas and other states.
The lawsuit was based in part on a 2022 video published by conservative media outlet “Accuracy in Media.” In the video, former AISD equity officer Dr. Stephanie Hawley referenced instructional materials from the education platform Newsela, which she said helped the district “stay out of trouble” with the Legislature. Hawley has since retired from the district.
Newsela has previously published content aligned with the 1619 Project, an initiative that reexamines the legacy of slavery in American history.
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