Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo posts audio from RodeoHouston confrontation | Officials deny her claims

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 sold-out 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.

Hidalgo has said her past access to the area stems from the county’s relationship with the rodeo. She said the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation provides the county with rodeo tickets each year for community leaders.

Hidalgo said that so far this year she has attended three RodeoHouston concerts in the chute area and received 21 chute tickets.

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.

Hidalgo also shared cellphone audio on Instagram that she said captured part of the confrontation as it escalated.

In the recording, Hidalgo can be heard saying, “You heard they manhandled me, so are you saying that’s OK?”

In the two-page, 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.”

Hidalgo also said the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation provides the county with rodeo tickets each year for community leaders, and so far this year she’s attended three concerts in the chutes area and has received 21 chute tickets.

In a new letter Thursday, HSLR leadership expressed disappointment in the county judge and thanked the volunteers for professionalism. The Rodeo pushed back on her suggestion that she was mistreated due to her gender or ethnicity, calling that claim “absolutely false and insulting,” and noted she is the only elected official to repeatedly request these premium seats.

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.

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.

Judge Lina Hidalgo has attended the 2026 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on three occasions prior to March 10, each time with wristbands provided by the Rodeo for her and her guests to watch from the chute seats. In total, 21 tickets were provided to her across those visits, including for the J Balvin, Dwight Yoakam and Luke Bryan concerts with a total value of close to $9,000.

Chute seats are among the most premium experiences at RODEOHOUSTON, with tickets priced at approximately $425 each. Many guests purchase these seats specifically for the opportunity to be close to the action on the dirt and enjoy a special evening at the Rodeo. We have paying guests who invest in that experience, and our volunteers and staff work hard to ensure those guests receive what they paid for. Tickets at any level have not been requested by any other elected official in Houston or Harris County this year.

On March 10 we received information that the Judge wanted to attend the Megan Moroney concert, along with Creed, Chris Stapleton and Shaboozey concerts, all on the dirt. Because the Megan Moroney concert was sold out and she’d already had chute seats several times prior, we had multiple conversations with members of her team and the Houston County Sports and Convention Corporation informing them that she did not have wristbands and was not authorized to access the dirt or chute area that evening. She was aware of this prior to arriving and did not have the required wristbands to enter the area.

Despite that, Judge Hidalgo attempted to access the dirt area with guests who also did not have credentials or wristbands. She did have access to suite tickets that evening and was asked to return to her suite where she and her guests had tickets for the event. Our team respectfully addressed the situation, but the interaction became difficult for staff and security. There were numerous law enforcement officers who were present and none saw any physical harm including “manhandling”. Ultimately when she would not go back to her designated seats in the suite, she was escorted out.

We are very disappointed in Judge Hidalgo’s actions Tuesday night and since. But we must enforce the same access policies for everyone. The Judge is the only elected official to request, even demand, these seats night after night. 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.

We want to thank our Gatekeepers volunteer committee and law enforcement for the professionalism they showed in handling this situation. These volunteers and first responders generously commit their time to support the Rodeo and help ensure that policies are followed so every guest can enjoy the event.

As a family-friendly Houston event with millions of visitors each year, we are committed to providing a welcoming experience to the entire community. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is committing $30 million to Texas youth and education in 2026 alone, with a total commitment of more than $660 million. We look forward to a busy week ahead and nine incredible days of Rodeo still to come.

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