Harris County Judge Alleges Threats, Removal From Houston Rodeo Concert Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo claimed she was physically threatened and forcibly removed from a concert at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Tuesday evening. In a letter shared Wednesday, Hidalgo described the incident, which she said occurred during a performance by singer Megan Moroney at NRG Stadium. She alleged that security personnel grabbed and shoved her, and threatened her with arrest, despite her status as an Ex-Officio Director of the event. Hidalgo stated she had attempted to bring another elected official, two children, and the parents of a recently deceased U.S. Air Force sergeant to the concert. In a since-deleted Facebook post, she wrote, “I was happy for them to try to have me arrested. I know now and knew then that I did not do anything wrong. But they took to physically grabbing and pushing the County Executive of the third largest county in the nation.” She emphasized that she felt disrespected and physically unsafe, and described the experience as leaving her “unempowered as a woman.” A spokesperson for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo responded by stating that Hidalgo and her group attempted to access the dirt area of the stadium, which is reserved for attendees with chute seat tickets. The spokesperson noted that the group was denied entry to the area and directed back to their ticketed seats. The spokesperson clarified that dirt access is limited to holders of the premium $425 tickets, and that Hidalgo’s group did not possess valid tickets for that section. In her letter, Hidalgo disputed the rodeo’s explanation, asserting that she had always been allowed on the dirt area due to the county’s relationship with the event.#houston_livestock_show_and_rodeo #nrg_stadium #megan_moroney #harris_county_judge #lina_hidalgo
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo Alleges She Was Manhandled at Houston Rodeo Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo claimed she was physically shoved and forced to leave the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo after attempting to access the dirt floor without proper tickets. According to Hidalgo, staff members at the event escalated from yelling at her to pushing her out of the area. She described the incident as occurring Tuesday night while she and her guests tried to enter the restricted zone. Hidalgo told Eyewitness News that she and her five guests, including West University Place Mayor Susan Sample and Sample’s two children, were initially seated in the county suite, which is reserved for her as ex officio director of the rodeo. However, she and some guests decided to attempt floor access despite not having chute seat tickets. Hidalgo said two of her guests were allowed onto the dirt area, but she and the others were stopped. “I said, ‘Okay, I will pay for them,’” Hidalgo said, referring to her attempt to purchase tickets on the spot. Rodeo officials stated that Hidalgo’s team had previously been granted nearly $9,000 in floor access tickets for three previous nights but were denied entry Tuesday night because the Megan Moroney concert, which was held on the dirt floor, had sold out. A staff member reportedly told Hidalgo briefly that the area was full as she was leaving. The rodeo’s statement clarified that Hidalgo and her guests were directed back to their ticketed seating after being informed that only chute seat ticket holders could access the dirt area. Officials emphasized that the tickets are a premium option priced at $425 each.#houston_livestock_show_and_rodeo #harris_county_judge_lina_hidalgo #chris_boleman #nrg_stadium #megan_moroney
