The Texas Attorney General’s office announced Wednesday that it has opened an investigation into two public school districts for their roles in hosting events tied to the Islamic Games of North America, a group partially sponsored by an organization that Governor Greg Abbott has designated as a foreign terrorist organization. Attorney General Ken Paxton said his office is demanding information from Cypress‑Fairbanks Independent School District and Grapevine‑Colleyville Independent School District regarding their involvement with the games.
The Islamic Games of North America describes itself as a major athletic event for Muslim athletes, with more than 10,000 competitors expected from over 900 teams and anticipated attendance exceeding 50,000 nationwide across events in six states. The Dallas event was scheduled at Colleyville Heritage High School in Grapevine‑Colleyville ISD, and the Houston event at Bridgeland High School in Cypress‑Fairbanks ISD. Sponsors listed for the events included various local and national organizations, among them the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American‑Islamic Relations.
Last November, Governor Abbott designated CAIR as a foreign terrorist organization and called for investigations into it and other Islamic groups. CAIR has denied the allegations and filed suit in response. In light of that designation, Paxton’s office has requested communications, contracts and related documents from the two districts related to the Islamic Games, CAIR or affiliated chapters.
Paxton said his office is acting to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not supporting activities by organizations linked to terror designations in violation of Texas law. He made the statement after Grapevine‑Colleyville ISD canceled its planned event following opposition from state lawmakers and a member of the State Board of Education. The district cited state law, which prohibits governmental entities from entering into contracts with entities identified as foreign terrorist organizations, as the basis for severing negotiations to host the games.
Cypress‑Fairbanks ISD initially had not canceled its scheduled event, leading Abbott to publicly demand that the district comply with state law. Abbott warned that public schools should not allow events sponsored by designated organizations to take place on taxpayer‑funded facilities and threatened legal action if compliance was not forthcoming.
In addition to the investigation, Abbott urged Paxton to strip CAIR of its nonprofit status in Texas, asserting that state law gives the attorney general authority to investigate and regulate nonprofits that may be violating legal requirements. Abbott cited the Texas Constitution and other statutes that empower the attorney general to inspect records, issue civil investigative demands and seek judicial forfeiture of a nonprofit’s charter if an organization refuses to comply.
Paxton has not yet issued a response to Abbott’s request to pursue action against CAIR specifically, but the ongoing investigation into the school districts underscores the state’s effort to enforce its designation and ensure compliance with related legal standards.
