A Texas judge is putting a rodeo on blast for sexism and racism. She claims that the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo staff discriminated against her after kicking her out of the venue.
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Let's examine what happened. The rub appears to be due to a VIP area. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said she and five guests tried to access the VIP area at a Megan Moroney concert on Tuesday. However, the staff wouldn't let the group in because the group didn't pay the $425 ticket price for VIP wristbands.
The show was also sold out. However, the Texas judge said the rodeo previously let her access the VIP section "based on the county's relationship with the rodeo." She said she assumed she could access the area as "friends of rodeo leaders or for rodeo leaders or such."
Hidalgo claims she was grabbed and shoved by staff. They threatened to arrest her.
"I understand the rodeo committee members have a job to do," Hidalgo wrote in a public letter to rodeo board Chairwoman Pat Phillips and rodeo President Chris Boleman.
"They are trying to keep thousands of people safe at the largest rodeo in the world. I did not want to prevent the committee members from doing their jobs. Nor was I trying to take advantage of 'privileges' or call in favors. I was not even interested in seeing the concert. I was only interested in helping community members enjoy an important event."
Texas Judge Feuds With Rodeo
However, Rodeo officials are calling foul. They claim they asked the Texas judge several times to return to the county suite. When she refused, they asked her to leave and escorted her out.
"There were numerous law enforcement officers who were present and none saw any physical harm, including 'manhandling,'" Phillips and Boleman said in a joint letter. "Ultimately, when she would not go back to her designated seats in the suite, she was escorted out."
According to Rodeo officials, they previously gave the Texas judge $9,000 in floor access tickets for her and guests to see J Balvin, Dwight Yoakam, and Luke Bryan.
"We are very disappointed in Judge Hidalgo's actions Tuesday night and since," Phillips and Boleman said. "But we must enforce the same access policies for everyone. The Judge is the only elected official to request, even demand, these seats night after night. As Chairwoman of the Board, the idea that she was treated this way because she's a woman or Hispanic is absolutely false and insulting."
The Texas judge says she has "never accepted anything inappropriately or used my role to personally enrich myself even though many others have."
She's accusing the rodeo of being racist to her as a Hispanic.
