Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo faced a second ejection from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Thursday, following a previous incident earlier in the week where she was removed from a concert for attempting to access VIP seating without tickets. The judge held a brief news conference outside NRG Stadium seeking security camera footage of the initial incident before being escorted out of the rodeo grounds once again, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.
During the concert on Tuesday night, Hidalgo was asked to leave while trying to enter a premium seating area without tickets, leading to her removal from the venue. As a result, Rodeo Houston revoked her "ex-officio director" status, requiring her to pay for access like other attendees, according to a spokesperson cited by Fox News Digital.
In response, Hidalgo shared video evidence and a letter with rodeo officials detailing her experience, alleging mistreatment and suggesting that her Hispanic background played a role in how she was treated. She mentioned feeling targeted and stated that white men had used physical force against her, expressing concerns about discrimination.
However, Rodeo officials disputed Hidalgo's claims, emphasizing that access policies were applied uniformly to all attendees. They refuted any insinuation of bias based on gender or ethnicity, asserting that the judge had repeatedly sought special seating privileges not granted to other officials.
Moreover, it was revealed that Hidalgo had been provided with $9,000 worth of floor access tickets for herself and guests on previous concert nights featuring J Balvin, Dwight Yoakam, and Luke Bryan. The ongoing dispute led Hidalgo to call for increased surveillance at NRG Stadium to improve security and transparency.
As the county judge, Hidalgo holds a significant role overseeing Harris County's administration and managing a substantial budget exceeding $4 billion as the presiding officer of the Commissioners Court. Fox News Digital attempted to contact Hidalgo for further comments on the situation.
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