Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said she was shoved, while rodeo officials denied that claim. Hidalgo also mentioned race and sex in a lengthy letter.

HOUSTON — Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo officials each released statements Wednesday about an incident that apparently happened at the Megan Moroney concert Tuesday.

Each told a different story of what happened when Hidalgo attempted to bring a group of people onto the “dirt” during the concert, which is on the floor of NRG Stadium.

Rodeo officials said Hidalgo tried to bring several guests to the floor without chute tickets. They said Rodeo security told Hidalgo and her guests that the area was limited to chute seat ticket holders only because the tickets were expensive — priced at $425. They said they turned them away and directed them back to their ticketed seating.

Rodeo officials said neither Hidalgo nor her guests were “shoved” or threatened with arrest.

Hidalgo, however, told a different story in a lengthy letter penned to Rodeo leaders.

In the 865-word letter, Hidalgo claimed that she was grabbed, shoved and threatened with arrest when she was turned away. She also raised a theoretical question, suggesting she was turned away because she was a woman, not a man.

Hidalgo claimed that she, along with a fellow elected official, the elected official’s two children and the parents of recently deceased Air Force First Sergeant David Saravia were trying to get into the chute area, “as I have always done, including earlier this week,” but were told they couldn’t enter because they didn’t have wristbands.

“I have always been allowed on the dirt based on the county’s relationship with the rodeo, regardless of wristband. Nobody has ever told me I needed a special pass to access the dirt. I don’t remember I or my guests ever wearing one and pictures show that,” Hidalgo said.

She said she assumed the area was for “friends of rodeo leaders or for rodeo leaders or such.”

Hidalgo said they were all removed from the area — herself being physically removed.

In the letter, Hidalgo said she has never used her role to “personally enrich myself,” while also saying she understood the rodeo committee members have a “job to do.”

Later in the letter, her tone changed. She brought up “male leadership” and how she fought against the “good ol boys clubs.” She posed a hypothetical situation in which she questioned if her sex had something to do with how she was treated.

“I wonder, if I had been a male county executive, would they have reacted the same way? Would they have thrown a male Harris County executive’s guest with their young daughter and son out of the Harris County stadium? Would they have gone up to a male guest’s children and yanked them out of a seat?” Hidalgo’s letter said. “I have never felt so unempowered as a woman as I did yesterday.”

Hidalgo then singled out white men, claiming they have “felt emboldened to treat others, particularly Hispanics with physical force.”


Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo statement

On March 10, during the sold-out Megan Moroney concert, Judge Lina Hidalgo attempted to access the dirt area without a valid chute seat ticket. Additionally, she attempted to bring several guests, also without chute seat tickets. Rodeo security advised that dirt access is limited to chute seat ticket holders only, a premium ticket priced at $425 and the group was directed back to their ticketed seating.

Judge Hidalgo had suite tickets, and not a chute seat tickets. When the Judge said she and some guests were going to the chute area, she was told the chute tickets were all sold out. The judge went ahead to the chute area anyway with the guests, and were impeding the view of paying chute ticket holders. She was asked to leave the chute ticket area, and ultimately left the area. The Judge was not shoved, or threatened with arrest.


Hidalgo’s full letter

Dear Chairman Phillips and Mr. Boleman,

Last night, I tried to bring a fellow elected official, her two children, and the parents of recently deceased U.S. Air Force First Sergeant David Saravia to the Houston rodeo performance. They are also the parents of an active duty military service member.

When I tried to walk onto the chute ticket area (“the dirt”), as I have always done, including earlier this week, rodeo committee members told me we weren’t able to enter because I didn’t have a wristband. I have always been allowed on the dirt based on the county’s relationship with the rodeo, regardless of wristband. Nobody has ever told me I needed a special pass to access the dirt. I don’t remember I or my guests ever wearing one and pictures show that. Nobody ever told me those seats were $425. I assumed that area was for friends of rodeo leaders or for rodeo leaders or such.

When I tried to ask that my guests be let in, the rodeo committee members first said the kids could stand in the back, but then proceeded to block the kids and mom from entering, grabbed me, shoved me, and threatened to arrest me. Even after I offered to leave if it meant that my guest and her kids were allowed to stay and finish watching the concert, the rodeo removed her and the kids from the dirt entirely. I had already been removed from the dirt.

At one point, a man in the crowd started heckling the little girl. At which point her mom asked a rodeo official to please tell the man to stop heckling her daughter. His response was, “well, I told you to leave.” She and the kids had not been asked to leave. It was me they were shoving. He proceeded to get uncomfortably close to the mom, who felt she was going to be shoved herself.

In my role as Harris County Judge, I have never accepted anything inappropriately or used my role to personally enrich myself even though many others have. I understand the rodeo committee members have a job to do. 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.

Harris County has always enjoyed a collaborative relationship with the rodeo. The county owns and leases NRG stadium to HLSR, and by virtue of my position I am Ex Oficio Director of the Rodeo. The Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation – NRG Park provides Harris County with tickets to the rodeo every night so that community leaders can bring partners and stakeholders and celebrate an important event together as a community.

The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo means so much to the Houston and Harris County community. In addition to the community pride it brings to our region, it also brings an incredible economic impact and provides millions of dollars in scholarships to local students. Some of my favorite memories during my time in office are riding into the stadium on horseback during Grand Entry, celebrating at the Black Heritage Day annual gala, and talking with folks in the community before the concerts.

I am bringing this to the public’s attention because last night was not reflective of the spirit of the rodeo, and I hope it doesn’t ever happen to anyone again. I, along with all of Harris County, was thrilled when Pat Mann Phillips was elected as the first female chair of HLSR after decades of male leadership. I have fought against ‘good ol boys clubs’ since I was first elected, and it’s important to me that the rodeo be a safe space for everyone in Harris County. No one should be treated the way we were treated, whether they are an elected official or not. I felt disrespected, threatened and physically unsafe – as did my guests and the kids.

While I appreciate the work that the rodeo staff and volunteers do to manage such a large event, I cannot be complacent.

I wonder, if I had been a male county executive, would they have reacted the same way? Would they have thrown a male Harris County executive’s guest with their young daughter and son out of the Harris County stadium? Would they have gone up to a male guest’s children and yanked them out of a seat?

I will not go near that area again. But I have never felt so unempowered as a woman as I did yesterday.

These days, not only are we fighting a war abroad, but some people, mostly white men, have felt emboldened to treat others, particularly Hispanics with physical force. I don’t travel without my passport anymore. Many of us do, especially those of us who are not white-passing.

I want the HLSR leadership to know that constituents of color and women, like me, deserve to be physically safe and to be treated with dignity. I hope nobody else experiences behavior like this.

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