Lina Hidalgo, Harris County Judge, posted and then deleted an extensive Facebook post in which she accuses guards of having physically assaulted her.
An alleged altercation between Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the security staff of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo sparked a public controversy this week. Hidalgo claimed in a Facebook post, which she later deleted, that she was pushed and threatened with arrest by guards during a concert at NRG Stadium on Tuesday night.
The incident, which occurred during the performance of singer Megan Moroney, presents two versions: the judge’s, who alleges excessive force and political motives, and that of the Houston Rodeo security officers, who maintain that they only applied access rules for an area exclusive to certain ticket holders. The situation even drew a reaction from the Houston Police Officers’ Union (HPOU), which published a satirical cartoon alluding to the incident.
Lina Hidalgo’s account: “I was physically pushed”
In the deleted post, Hidalgo explained that she attended the event with several guests, including two minors. According to her account, she attempted to access the area known as the “dirt area” (the dirt area in front of the stage), but security personnel blocked her. The judge noted that, by virtue of her position, she serves as the ex officio director of the rodeo, and therefore questioned the denial.
“The Head of Security for the entire rodeo was also there blocking us,” Hidalgo wrote in the post. The judge recounted that, while she was waiting to speak with a event director to resolve the situation, the guards approached her. “Before I could speak with the director, the men physically pushed me and threatened to arrest me,” Hidalgo said, adding that they escorted her out of the stadium, forcing her to leave her guests inside.
Hidalgo also insinuated that the treatment received had political and gender connotations. “If it had been a different county executive, a man, I would bet that no one would have been pushed,” she declared in her now-deleted message. She stated that she has video evidence of how the two children accompanying her were also escorted.
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Houston Rodeo’s response: “No valid ticket”
Hours after the altercation, the officials of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo issued a statement with their version of what happened. In it, they categorically deny that it was an unjustified expulsion and explain the reasons behind the security staff’s intervention.
“On March 10, during Megan Moroney’s concert, Judge Lina Hidalgo attempted to access the dirt area without a valid ticket for chute seating,” states the official statement, echoed by several media outlets. The organization detailed that access to that area is exclusive to holders of a premium ticket costing $425.
According to the rodeo officers, Hidalgo also attempted to enter with several guests who did not have that special pass either. In this situation, RodeoHouston security told them that they should return to the seats they had been assigned with their regular tickets. “The group was directed back to their seats with a valid ticket,” the organization stated in its release.
Police union intervention and the political factor
The controversy escalated quickly when the Houston Police Officers’ Union (HPOU) posted on its social networks an image that many interpreted as a direct mockery of the judge. It was a cartoon titled “The face you make when you’re kicked out of the rodeo.”
The cartoon showed a woman with a physical resemblance to Lina Hidalgo, with a speech bubble that said “I am the county judge!”, being escorted by an officer. Although the post included a disclaimer stating “Satire. Any resemblance to real people, real events from last night… is purely coincidental,” the allusion to the incident was evident.
The political backdrop did not go unnoticed. It should be noted that the NRG Stadium is owned by Harris County but leased annually to RodeoHouston for the conduct of its events. Additionally, high-ranking county officials and their guests typically have free access to concerts through a county-owned box. Hidalgo has had access to this privilege in the past, such as at Beyoncé’s concert in June.
Hidalgo, who has had public clashes with other county officials before, including a sudden departure from the Commissioners Court over a door dispute, suggested that the incident could have been motivated by political differences. “Perhaps those guys simply disagree with my policies. They had the opportunity to change it twice at the polls and they lost,” she concluded in her post.
