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MacArthur High School (Irving, Texas)

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Coordinates: 32°51′13″N 96°57′32″W / 32.853647°N 96.958806°W / 32.853647; -96.958806
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MacArthur High School
MacArthur High School Cardinals logo
Address
Map
3700 MacArthur Boulevard

Irving
,
Dallas County
,
Texas
75062

United States
Information
TypeCo-Educational, Public, Secondary
Established1963
School districtIrving Independent School District
Staff175.41 (FTE)[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment2,586 (2022–2023)[1]
Student to teacher ratio14.74[1]
Color(s)  Red
  White
  Black
MascotCardinal
Websitetx01917973.schoolwires.net/macarthur

MacArthur High School is a public high school in Irving, Texas. Opened in 1963, it is named for the American General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. In 2010, the school was rated "Academically Recognized" by the Texas Education Agency. In 2021-22, the school was rated by the Texas Education Agency as follows: C overall, C for Student Achevement, B for School Progress, and C for Closing the Gaps.

History

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MacArthur High School, named after General Douglas MacArthur, opened in 1963. A Junior ROTC program began in the 1973–74 school year.[2]

Student body

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As of 2024, the total minority enrollment at the high school was 93%, and 80% of the school's students were economically disadvantaged.[3]

Academic ratings

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In 2009, the school was rated "Academically Acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.[4] In 2010, the school was rated "Academically Recognized" by the Texas Education Agency.[5]

In 2021-22, the school was rated by the Texas Education Agency as follows: C overall, C for Student Achevement, B for School Progress, and C for Closing the Gaps.[6]

Sports

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In 2011, the MacArthur girls basketball team won the state tournament. Coach Suzie Oelschlegel was named the Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations.[7]

Controversies

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Student arrest

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Main article: Ahmed Mohamed clock incident


A 14-year-old student, Ahmed Mohamed, was arrested on September 14, 2015, for bringing an alleged hoax bomb to school, questioned, and released. Under Texas law, it is illegal to possess a "hoax bomb" with an intent to "make another believe that the hoax bomb is an explosive or incendiary device" or to "cause [an] alarm or reaction of any type by an official of a public safety agency or volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies".[8]

The episode arose after Mohamed reassembled the parts of a digital clock in an 8-inch (20 cm)[9] pencil container, and then brought it to school to show his teachers. His engineering teacher, upon seeing the clock advised him to keep the device in his backpack for the rest of the school day.[10] Mohamed, however, later plugged it in during his English class and set a time on the clock.[11] When the clock alarm started beeping, his English teacher confiscated the clock and reported him to the school principal, and the local police were called.[10] The police questioned him for an hour and a half. He was handcuffed, taken into custody, and transported to a juvenile detention facility where he was fingerprinted and his mug shot was taken. He was then released to his parents. According to local police, the reason for his arrest was that they initially suspected he may have purposely caused a bomb scare. Police determined that he had no malicious intent, and he was not charged with any crime.[12] The case was not pursued further by the juvenile justice authorities, but he was suspended from the school and offered no apology.

His family then sent a demand letter on November 23, 2015, saying they would file a lawsuit if they did not receive $15 million ($19,000,000 in current dollar terms) in financial compensation and a public apology from the City of Irving and the Irving School District.[13] His family then filed a lawsuit against the City of Irving and the school district on August 8, 2016.[14][15] On May 19, 2017, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying the plaintiff presented no facts demonstrating intentional discrimination against Mohamed.[16] On March 13, 2018, another federal lawsuit filed by Ahmed Mohamed's father against the Irving Independent School District, the city of Irving, and several specific individuals, was dismissed with prejudice and with the court ordering Mohamed's family to bear all the costs of the lawsuit.[17][18][19]

LGBTQ+ stickers policy

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In August 2021, after some teachers posted small rainbow stickers — a symbol of the gay pride movement — outside their classrooms to indicate to students that they were LGBTQ allies, the high school administration required that the stickers be taken down, and they were scraped off by the school.[20] The administration later said in a statement that decorations in classrooms, hallways or offices must be “curriculum driven and neutral in viewpoint” to “ensure that all students feel safe regardless of background or identity.”[20]

Word spread among students that the new principal had allegedly fired a teacher who was openly gay and was forcing teachers to remove "safe space" stickers. Some students then organized a walkout for LGBTQ+ rights on September 22 between 6th and 7th periods.[21][22]

Notable people

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Alumni

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Faculty

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "MACARTHUR H S". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  2. ^ "History of MacArthur High School". Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  3. ^ "Macarthur High School," US News & World Report.
  4. ^ "2009 Accountability Rating System". Texas Education Agency. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015.
  5. ^ "2010 Accountability Rating System". Texas Education Agency. Archived from the original on November 14, 2011.
  6. ^ ""MacArthur High School, Texas Tribune.
  7. ^ Lee, Christine (January 20, 2012). "National Coach of the Year Is From Irving". NBC Dallas Fort Worth. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  8. ^ Cushing, Tim. "Here's The Ridiculous Texas Law That Allows Law Enforcement To Pretend A Digital Clock Is A Hoax Bomb". Techdirt. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  9. ^ "Letters demand $15 million, say Irving officials worked to smear Ahmed Mohamed after clock arrest | Irving | Dallas News". Dallas News. November 23, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  10. ^ a b Selk, Avi (September 15, 2015). "Irving 9th-grader arrested after taking homemade clock to school: 'So you tried to make a bomb?'". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on September 16, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  11. ^ "I felt like a terrorist". Al Jazeera. September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  12. ^ "Muslim boy arrested for clock pulled from Texas school". Straits Times. Agence France-Presse (AFP). September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  13. ^ Buncombe, Andrew (November 25, 2015). "Ahmed Mohamed demands $15m compensation and written apology after homemade clock arrest". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 24, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
  14. ^ Lindgren, Jennifer (August 8, 2016). "'Clock Kid' Files Lawsuit Against City Of Irving & Irving ISD". KTVT. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
  15. ^ "Doc 1 Clock Boy Complaint – African American".
  16. ^ "Federal court throws out Irving 'Clock Boy' lawsuit". Fox 4. Archived from the original on May 19, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  17. ^ "Judge Slams Door on Further Litigation By 'Clock Boy' Family". NBCDFW. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  18. ^ "'Clock boy' Ahmed Mohamed's lawsuit against Irving ISD, city dismissed". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  19. ^ Cardona, Claire Z. "Irving mayor dismissed from 'clock boy' defamation suit". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  20. ^ a b Tyler Kingkade (April 7, 2022). "A Texas teacher faces losing her job after fighting for gay pride symbols in school," NBC News.
  21. ^ "Students walk out at MacArthur H.S. after teachers allegedly forced to take down 'safe space' stickers for LGBTQIA+ students". WFAA.
  22. ^ "Texas school plans to oust a teacher who fought for LGBTQ rainbow stickers". NBC News. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  23. ^ "Kole Ayi profile". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  24. ^ "Cowboys sign OLB Ayodele, their former ball boy". ESPN.com. Associated Press. March 13, 2006. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  25. ^ Biggane, Brian (December 24, 2009). "Miami Dolphins' Akin Ayodele makes an impact with devotion to charity work". Palm Beach Post. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  26. ^ Tomashoff, Craig (June 10, 1991). "No Tackling Dummy". People. 25 (22). Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  27. ^ Brown, Travis L. (April 28, 2012). "Eleven area players taken in 2012 draft". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  28. ^ Halliburton, Suzanne (January 25, 2012). "The 2007 Fabulous 55: If we had it to do all over again ..." Austin American Statesman. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  29. ^ "Upchucking Chukwurah Makes Name for Self". The Oklahoman. Associated Press. October 10, 2006. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  30. ^ "Andrew Jones - Men's Basketball". University of Texas Athletics. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  31. ^ "Tigers to host Denton; Cards at Woodrow Wilson". Irving Daily News. March 4, 1969. p. 5. Retrieved January 18, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ Halley, Jim (March 2, 2012). "Baylor recruit Odyssey Sims to miss All-American game with torn ACL". USA Today. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  33. ^ Cherry, Brian (January 8, 2011). "Freshman's Odyssey continues with Lady Bears". Waco Tribune Herald. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  34. ^ "Athletic Department: 2014 Hall of Fame Inductees" (PDF). Irving Independent School District. 2014. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  35. ^ Newell, Jesse (December 5, 2014). "For new KU football coach David Beaty, success is all in the details". Topeka Capital Journal. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  36. ^ "Phil Bennett". Baylor Athletics.
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32°51′13″N 96°57′32″W / 32.853647°N 96.958806°W / 32.853647; -96.958806

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