Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Hutto Independent School District (“ISD”) for using state resources to conduct illegal electioneering.
Hutto ISD, using official government resources, advocated for certain political policies and measures on its social media accounts. Such actions directly violated the Texas Election Code’s prohibition against the use of “state or local funds or other resources of the district to electioneer for or against any candidate, measure, or political party.”
Despite being currently prevented from prosecuting criminal violations of the Election Code due to the Court of Criminal Appeals’ decision in Texas v. Stephens, Attorney General Paxton has sought civil injunctive relief. School districts should be aware that illegal electioneering is criminal conduct and violators could be subject to criminal prosecution by local authorities. While unable to criminally prosecute violators at this time, Attorney General Paxton is committed to using all available means to protect the integrity of Texas elections.
This lawsuit is part of an ongoing effort by Attorney General Paxton to crack down on the wave of illegal electioneering occurring across the state. Already, Castleberry ISD and Denton ISD have agreed to injunctions against such electioneering and Frisco ISD has been placed under a temporary restraining order. Denison ISD, Huffman ISD, and Aledo ISD have also been sued for similar illegal acts.
To read the filing, click here