Texas AG Ken Paxton Accuses Frisco ISD of Illegal Electioneering, Files Lawsuit

In a move signaling zero tolerance for election law violations, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking on Frisco Independent School District (FISD), slapping them with a lawsuit for what he calls "illegal electioneering." Paxton alleges that FISD misused official resources to push folks toward voting a certain way on policy issues, directly flouting the Texas Election Code.

According to a statement from the Attorney General's office, the FISD's Government Affairs department has been recently using its channels—on the taxpayers' dime—to advocate for specific political measures. This comes as a clear violation of state law, which expressly bars the use of local funds or resources by a district to support or oppose any political candidate or measure. The latest infractions occurred just a few days ago, on February 27th.

Paxton, given the constraints from the Court of Criminal Appeals' decision in Texas v. Stephens, can't currently throw the book at these offenses criminally. However, he's not sitting on his hands, he's using the power of civil injunctive relief. This is a tool that enables him to get a court order putting a full stop to any school district trying to bend the election to its will illegally. Although the Attorney General's hands are tied to prosecute, the local authorities remain free to lay down the law and bring potential criminals to justice.

It's not just Frisco in Paxton's crosshairs—Denton ISD found themselves on the business end of a similar lawsuit, actions alleging the school district also partook in illegal partisan promoting. The Texas top cop is also hot on the trail of other suspected violation incidents throughout the Lone Star State, which might ignite further legal showdowns. As education and politics continue to collide, Paxton's crackdowns send a resounding message that the mixing of school resources and electioneering will not stand on his watch.