HOUSTON — The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has removed Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo from her role as an ex-officio director on the rodeo’s Board of Directors following a dispute over premium concert seating at NRG Stadium.
Rodeo officials said Hidalgo attempted to enter the chute — a premium area near the arena and stage — during a sold-out Megan Moroney concert with guests, including two children, without proper credentials. When she refused to return to her assigned suite seats, security escorted her out, an interaction Hidalgo described as being “manhandled” and threatened with arrest in a now-deleted Facebook post.
In response, rodeo president and CEO Chris Boleman and board chairwoman Pat Mann Phillips released a joint statement disputing her account. They emphasized that Hidalgo, the only local elected official to request exclusive chute seats this year, had already been provided 21 tickets worth nearly $9,000 for concerts including J Balvin, Forrest Frank, and Luke Bryan.
“We are very disappointed in Judge Hidalgo’s actions Tuesday night and since,” the statement read. “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.”
Hidalgo, a Democrat who is not seeking a third term, has posted videos and audio of the interaction, insisting that constituents of color and women deserve safety and dignity, and calling attention to how she was physically removed.
The county owns NRG Stadium and leases it to the rodeo annually, placing Hidalgo in a unique position as both a public official and board member.