Two Round Rock Independent School District board members, Mary Bone and Danielle Weston, are currently ensnared in controversy. They've been slammed with demands to return hefty donations received from a political action committee linked to a figure with extremist connections. KXAN reported that the controversy ignited when Jonathan Stickland, former president of Defend Texas Liberty PAC, conducted a lengthy meeting with Nick Fuentes, a white supremacist and antisemitic podcaster. This unsavory association has compelled powerful conservatives to quickly distance themselves and re-evaluate their financial connections with the PAC.
Interestingly, donations from this PAC, amounting to $13,000 for Trustee Mary Bone and $18,000 for trustee Danielle Weston in December 2021, have surfaced under the spotlight. Calls for them to either return or redirect these contributions have been made by the board's president and vice president, Amber Feller Landrum, and Tiffanie Harrison. The ability to effectively sever ties with Defend Texas Liberty PAC—and by extension, the extremist ideologies it appears to court—remains to be seen, as neither Bone nor Weston have provided any public statements facing these accusations.
Meanwhile, as the storm brews over these donations, Round Rock ISD remains focused on gearing up for the upcoming school year. The district is actively seeking volunteers and donations for its annual Back to School Celebration, a community event aiming to kick-start the academic year with positive momentum. The district is looking to fill various volunteer roles and is accepting monetary donations, according to Community Impact.
