Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called on the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District to cancel plans to host a large youth sporting event known as the Islamic Games, arguing the event has ties to an organization he has labeled a foreign terrorist group.
In a letter sent this week to district leaders, Abbott said Cy-Fair ISD should immediately sever any agreements related to the event after learning that the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, was listed as a sponsor. Abbott has previously designated CAIR as having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which he has labeled a terrorist organization under Texas law.
“Radical Islamic extremism is not welcome in Texas — and certainly not in our schools,” Abbott wrote, warning the district that failure to comply could prompt an investigation by the Texas Education Agency and potential legal action by the state attorney general.
The Islamic Games is a multi-day youth sports festival that draws athletes from across the country and has previously been held at school and municipal facilities in several states. Organizers say the event promotes athletic competition and community engagement and denies that CAIR is a formal sponsor of the games.
Representatives for the Islamic Games said any past involvement by CAIR was limited and not organizational, disputing the governor’s claims. CAIR has also denied any links to terrorist organizations and has challenged Abbott’s designation in court.
Cy-Fair ISD officials have not publicly said whether the district will cancel the event. The district serves more than 115,000 students and is one of the largest school systems in Texas.
Another North Texas school district, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, announced earlier this week that it had ended discussions to host a similar event after receiving a letter from Abbott. Following the governor’s intervention, the Islamic Games website removed references to Cy-Fair ISD as a host location, listing the venue as “to be determined.”
Civil rights advocates criticized Abbott’s move, calling it discriminatory and warning it could unfairly target Muslim students and families. They argue that public school facilities are routinely rented to a wide range of community groups and that singling out Muslim-affiliated events raises constitutional concerns.
The dispute comes as Abbott continues to emphasize education oversight and national security issues ahead of the 2026 election cycle, placing local school districts at the center of broader political debates.
