NRH WATCHDOg

TODAY'S TOP STORY:

BISD Launches Pilot Program Teaching Students How to Spot Conspiracy Theories — Accidentally Uses Brent’s Facebook Posts as Curriculum

Students score record-breaking grades analyzing “classic Vaughtism,” while Brent calls it “academic bullying of the highest order.”

North Richland Hills —​
The Birdville Independent School District rolled out a new pilot curriculum this month aimed at teaching middle and high school students how to recognize conspiracy theories, misinformation, and the warning signs of online delusion.

The program, titled Think Smart, Scroll Smarter, was designed to help students analyze real-world examples of flawed logic, emotional manipulation, and improperly sourced claims.

But according to multiple sources inside the district, the program hit an unexpected snag on Day One — when the educational slides displayed live during class were pulled directly from public Facebook content. Specifically, from the page of one man:
​Brent Vaught.

Within minutes, classrooms erupted in laughter, gasps, and at least one student whispering, “My mom shares his stuff… should we be worried?”

THE CASE STUDY EVERYONE RECOGNIZED

The curriculum included sample posts that represented common reasoning fallacies.
One post read:
​“If the city won’t show me every unedited email from the past 50 years, what are they hiding? Coincidence? I don’t think so.”

Another:
​“If I think the Mayor is corrupt, and you think the Mayor is corrupt, that’s two data points. Two data points make a pattern.”

And the now infamous one:
​“This roundabout is a secret psychological operation to confuse citizens into compliance.”

Teachers reported that students immediately recognized the source material.
Some recognized the profile picture.
Others recognized the writing style.
One eighth grader raised his hand and said, “Isn’t this the guy who yelled at a drone once?”

STUDENTS ACE THE UNIT IMMEDIATELY

District officials say student performance was “unprecedented.”
Nearly every student in the pilot program scored above 95 percent on the Logical Fallacy Identification Exam, and several asked for extra credit assignments “because this is too easy.”

“We’ve never seen comprehension like this,” said Dr. Lacey Minton, the program’s coordinator. “Usually students struggle with identifying patterns of flawed reasoning. But when we used… well, those posts… something clicked for them. Immediately.”

One student told the WatchDog,

Another added,

BRENT RESPONDS WITH OUTRAGE AND A 14-PAGE PDF

When informed that his public posts had been used as instructional material, Brent Vaught erupted into what administrators described as “a spiraling monologue of indignation.”

He demanded the curriculum be pulled until the district deleted Chapter 3: Case Study — Overreacting Like Brent, which includes a 4-step breakdown of his rhetorical style.
The steps, according to internal materials, are:

1. Assume conspiracy
2. Ignore explanation
3. Increase volume
4. Demand transparency

Brent insisted the chapter was “defamatory,” claiming,

DISTRICT RESPONSE

BISD officials released a calm, carefully worded statement:

A district spokesperson later clarified,

All the while, teachers across the district reported record student engagement.
One AP Government instructor noted,

THE WATCHDOG WEIGHS IN

NRH WatchDog founder Blakie-Poo, reviewing the lesson materials, said the curriculum was “shockingly accurate.”

“Honestly, I might adopt some of these graphics for the WatchDog,” he said. “The Venn diagram labeled ‘Brent’s Evidence’ is the best thing this district has produced in decades.”

He added,

THE FALLOUT

As of press time, Brent has filed an Open Records Request demanding “every piece of paper with my name near a fallacy,” which the district estimates will take 6–8 weeks to process.

Meanwhile, the curriculum continues expanding into more BISD campuses, with future modules planned on:

• Recognizing Manufactured Outrage
• How to Fact-Check Before Sharing
• Why Shouting Isn’t Evidence

One high school principal confirmed that the district will “absolutely not” be using Brent’s posts again.
Then added, under his breath,

THE WATCHDOG CONCLUSION

The WatchDog will continue covering the fallout of this educational milestone, including Brent’s upcoming protest scheduled for Friday afternoon titled:
​“Stop Teaching Kids to Question My Memory.”

Whether the district adjusts the curriculum or doubles down remains to be seen.
One thing is certain:
BISD just found the most teachable resource in the city — and Brent never saw it coming.

Be Sure To Spread the Truth,
​Blakie-Poo, Your NRH WatchDog