Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched a lawsuit against Denton Independent School District, accusing them of using taxpayer resources in a partisan push to mobilize staff members to vote for certain state Republican primary election candidates. Citing emails sent by district staff utilizing work accounts to campaign for public school-friendly candidates, Paxton's office alleges that such actions constitute illegal electioneering. "It is absolutely improper for publicly funded entities like school districts to engage in electioneering as Denton ISD has done," Paxton said, as reported by Fox San Antonio.
In one instance highlighted in the suit, Borman Elementary School principal Jesús Luján urged staff members to vote in the Republican primaries, emphasizing the importance of supporting candidates who prioritize public education. "Our goal is 100% of Borman employees voting, because it is THAT important!" Luján is quoted in the lawsuit, according to Fox San Antonio. This drive for full staff participation comes amidst a broader conversation on the role of public funds in political activities.
Meanwhile, over at Alexander Elementary School, another principal purportedly broke state law by using a government email to discourage votes for certain policy-backed candidates, directly violating the Texas Election Code's provisions. This prompted Paxton's office to seek an injunction to halt what he deems as the district's unlawful activities. Although the Office of the Attorney General can't criminally prosecute Election Code offenses due to a prior court ruling, they are pushing for civil injunctive relief to prevent future incidents. The lawsuit, as released on AG Ken Paxton’s website, seeks to uphold the integrity of elections free from illegal interference.
The legal move has reignited debate on the separation between public service and partisan politics, especially when it comes to school district actions during election periods. "State law prohibits government officials—including school district personnel—from using either their positions of authority or taxpayer resources to influence the outcome of elections," Paxton declared, reinforcing his stance against the alleged practices of DISD, as stated on AG Ken Paxton’s website.
