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Texas School District Halts Islamic Games Venue After Abbott’s CAIR Terror Designation

A pending federal lawsuit contests Abbott’s proclamation, highlighting equal‑access issues for public school rentals.

Overview

  • Grapevine‑Colleyville ISD said it ended talks to rent Colleyville Heritage High for the May 9–10 Dallas Islamic Games after learning a listed sponsor was designated by the governor.
  • The event website had listed CAIR New Jersey among more than 60 sponsors before its logo was removed following criticism from Republican officials online.
  • Islamic Games’ president said CAIR‑NJ only provided complimentary drawstring bags as a one‑time in‑kind contribution and rejected that this constituted sponsorship or partnership.
  • District officials and supporters cited Texas Government Code §2252.152 and the governor’s November proclamation in arguing public entities cannot contract with an identified foreign terrorist organization.
  • Civil‑rights groups, including MLFA and CAIR’s Legal Defense Fund, have sued to block the proclamation as unconstitutional, and advocates point to federal rules requiring equal access to school facility rentals regardless of religion.