Conservative Christian cellphone company donates 'In God We Trust' signs to Carroll ISD
SOUTHLAKE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Monday night's Carroll ISD school board meeting brought a controversial donation: framed posters saying, "In God We Trust," along with an image of the American flag.
They were given by Patriot Mobile, a local Christian, conservative wireless provider tied to a political action committee.
"Patriot Mobile is honored to donate these posters to CISD, and we're very excited to see them amongst all of our schools," Scott Coburn of Patriot Mobile said at Monday's meeting.
The district is bound by law to accept the posters. A state law went into effect last September requiring public elementary or secondary schools to display posters with the nation's motto if they are donated.
Coburn, a Southlake resident, told the board that 15% of Patriot Mobile's employees live in Southlake. But not all residents supported the donation. Anya Kushwaha is a graduate of Carroll ISD and a founder of the Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition.
"It just seems like a little bit of a frightening dissolution of the separation between church and state, so it's very worrisome," she said.
She said she's concerned about the precedent the law sets.
"It absolutely seems like a slippery slope that something like this is so conspicuously allowed, and not only permitted but required to now be emblazoned in every school hallway," she said.
CBS 11 reached out to Patriot Mobile for an on-camera interview, but they were unable to provide one Tuesday.
Its accompanying PAC, called Patriot Mobile Action, supports conservative school board candidates, including Carroll's ISD's election this year.
Carroll ISD confirmed that the posters will be displayed in a conspicuous place in each building of the school, saying , "[The law] makes clear that a school district 'must' accept the donation if it meets the requirements of the statute."
