Five stories that have North Texas talking: Former Denton ISD administrator threatened with lawsuit by Pepe the Frog's creator; Trump visited Texas on Tuesday; how to help after Harvey; and more.
To avoid a lawsuit, a Denton ISD administrator, who was removed over his controversial children’s book, will stop its distribution and donate all profits from sales to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Eric Hauser came under fire for “The Adventures of Pepe and Pede,” which features Pepe the Frog, a cartoon character appropriated by the so-called “alt-right” movement. The book was also criticized for being anti-Muslim with a bearded alligator called Alkah as the villain.
Hauser initially claimed not to know that Pepe the Frog was associated with white supremacists.
“However, documents from the book's illustrator, Nina Khalova, show that Hauser was aware the Pepe cartoon already existed,” the Denton Record-Chronicle reports.
He has since admitted to copyright infringement.
“In a project description Hauser sent to Khalova in June, the author included an image of Pepe the Frog and wrote, ‘I want The Frog to look very similar to this frog. He will wear a blue shirt,’” according to the Record-Chronicle.
Pepe the Frog was created in 2005 by artist Matt Furie, who threatened to sue Hauser unless he pulled the book, which was picked up by Post Hill Press. He’s also required to donate all profits to CAIR, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization.
Hauser originally self-published the book on Aug. 1 on Amazon. He was removed as an administrator earlier this month and resigned last week. [Denton Record-Chronicle]
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- Trump was in Texas Tuesday: Recap his visit to Corpus Christi and Austin. [KUT]
- As Harvey careened through Texas, museums scrambled to protect priceless treasures. Some fared better than others. [Art&Seek]
- North Texas didn’t suffer the devastation of Harvey or its aftermath, but there are several ways residents can help during the emergency period. [KERA News]
- North Texas students with visual impairments improved their ability to read — and to enjoy books — this summer with the help of a pilot program in Tarrant County. [KERA News]
The High Five is KERA’s daily roundup of stories from Dallas-Fort Worth and across the state. Explore our archives here. And sign up for our weekly email for the North Texas news you need to know.
