(The Center Square) – The Office of the Texas Attorney General launched an investigation Wednesday into two public school districts over plans to host an Islamic Games event sponsored in part by an Islamic group the governor designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
Attorney General Ken Paxton said his office is demanding information from Cypress-Fairbanks and Grapevine-Colleyville independent school districts for their alleged involvement with the Islamic Games of North America.
The IGNA claims to be “the premier Muslim sports and athletic event in North America, dedicated to promoting physical excellence, unity, and community development.” It says more than 10,000 athletes from more than 900 teams are expected to participate at events in six states this year. Attendance is expected to exceed 50,000 nationwide.
The Dallas Islamic Games were scheduled at Colleyville Heritage High School in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD; the Houston Islamic Games were scheduled at Bridgeland High School in Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District.
IGNA listed 100 sponsors on its website for the events, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations-NJ chapter.
Last November, Gov. Greg Abbott designated CAIR as an FTO and subsequently called for investigations into it and other Islamic groups, The Center Square reported. CAIR denies the allegations and has sued.
The OAG has requested the school districts provide it with communications, contracts and related documents related to IGNA, CAIR or affiliated chapters.
“The spread of radical Islam in Texas must be stopped, and if school districts are continuing to promote or partner with an organization tied to an FTL, that ends now,” Paxton said. He made the statement after GCISD already canceled its planned event and after Abbott already directed CFISD to comply with his order and to retain all documents.
After being informed of Abbott’s FTO order, GCISD canceled hosting the event nearly immediately after state lawmakers and State Board of Education member expressed opposition and raised concerns, The Center Square reported. The district said, “Texas Government Code § 2252.152 states that, ‘[a] governmental entity may not enter into a governmental contract with a company identified as a foreign terrorist organization.’ Thus, GCISD provided notice that it is severing the negotiations for the use of District properties for the 2026 Islamic Games.”
Days later, CFISD had yet to cancel hosting the games and Abbott demanded that it do so, also chastising public schools for entertaining the idea. If it doesn’t comply, Abbott threatened legal action.
“You cannot invite such dangers through the front doors of our schools. In fact, state law requires public schools to prohibit illegal activities from taking place on school property. It is obvious, then, that you may not use taxpayer-funded public facilities to host events sponsored by a designated terror organization. To do so would violate your duty to taxpayers and the safety of students,” Abbott warned, The Center Square reported.
Paxton also said he “will ensure that taxpayers’ dollars are not materially supporting activities by Islamist terrorists in violation of Texas law,” roughly two hours after Abbott called on him to take action against CAIR in another matter.
On Wednesday morning, Abbott demanded that Paxton strip CAIR of its nonprofit status, arguing he has the legal tools to do so but hasn’t, The Center Square reported.
“The Texas Attorney General is the only elected official charged with regulating nonprofits that may be violating the law, like CAIR,” Abbott wrote Paxton. “The Texas Constitution authorizes you to investigate and seek judicial forfeiture of CAIR’s nonprofit charter.
“Our state laws empower you to inspect, examine, and copy records of nonprofits. A nonprofit that refuses to comply ‘forfeits the right … to do business in this state,’ and individuals who refuse to comply also commit a crime.
“Texas law empowers you to issue civil investigative demands to compel organizations like CAIR to produce documents, answer questions, or provide testimony regarding potential civil violations. Your office may even seek a lien against all existing property the nonprofit has in this State,” Abbott, a former Texas attorney general, told Paxton, citing the Texas Constitution, state statutes and civil procedure.
Paxton has “used these tools before,” Abbott said, urging him “to use them to combat CAIR.”
Paxton has yet to issue a response to Abbott.
