Global Courant 2023-05-31 06:54:34
Galveston County Judge Kerry Neves of the 10th District Court on Tuesday granted a temporary injunction in a case that will affect the way state history is taught in schools.
The temporary injunction prevents the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) from holding meetings until a dispute over the composition of the board is resolved.
A view of the Galveston County Courthouse in Texas. (Getty Images)
Executive Director JP Bryan, who has filed a temporary restraining order against TSHA president Nancy Baker Jones, claims the board is violating its own bylaws, which require it to consist of 10 academics and 10 non-academics. The board now consists of 12 academics and eight non-academics.
In an earlier interview with Fox News Digital, Bryan argued that the disequilibrium of board members has shifted the organization’s ideological leaning to the left.
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Defendants in lawsuits, meanwhile, have accused Bryan of downplaying non-English communities in shaping Texas history.
“I don’t think this has anything to do with politics or whatever your view of history is,” Bryan told Fox News Digital. “It just has to do, legally, with – are there 10 lollipops in the jar, or are there five? We’re concerned about that. If you can count, I think it all comes naturally to me.”
Neves is expected to hear a motion within 45 days to change the venue from Galveston to Austin. A trial on the case will begin on September 11.
Founded in 1897, TSHA publishes research materials and educational programs about the Lone Star State.
The society’s output includes the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, the Texas Almanac, the Handbook of Texas, and other books and journals frequently cited by classrooms and authors and influences the content of Texas historic sites, including city museums, Spanish missions, and world-renowned revolutionary battlefields. The organization receives taxpayer money from the Texas Legislature.
Global Courant
Fox News Digital has reached out to Jones’ attorney for comment.
Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues and much more.