Retirement for superintendent hammered by anti-CRT parents goes before Clear Creek ISD board

The Clear Creek ISD school board will consider accepting a retirement agreement for the district’s superintendent, Eric Williams, on Monday night. The board will take up the proposed voluntary retirement agreement and the potential appointment of an interim superintendent in closed session Monday, according to an agenda released by the district. The board will then consider action on the item during the public session, the agenda says. The reason for Williams’ retirement is unclear and the district did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In December, Williams told the Chronicle he was setting roots in the Clear Creek community and planned to stay in the district for the “long haul.” He said he chose to move from a district with more than 83,000 students to one about half the size to be closer to family.

Williams, who began his position in the district in February 2021, was followed by accusations of “indoctrinating” students with “anti-white” sentiment from his previous job in Virginia. While serving as superintendent of Loudoun County Public Schools in northern Virginia, Williams and the large, affluent district became a flashpoint of right-wing activism over so-called “critical race theory.” Despite district attempts to make clear to parents that critical race theory is not taught within Clear Creek ISD, a group of parents in December called for Williams’ resignation, taking issue with a program called “Character Strong,” which is designed to teach children social and emotional learning, according to the district. “Our focus is not critical race theory,” Williams said to the crowd during a December board meeting. “It’s not in our curriculum or in our instructional resources.” The same vocal group of parents scrutinized Williams and the district over his hire, submitting a handful of Freedom of Information Act requests for his emails, documents related to his hiring and information regarding the cost of the Character Strong program. Teachers, staff and board members have publicly spoken out to defend Williams, saying he has made a positive impact on the district with a focus on student achievement and growth.