Two employees of the Denton Independent School District in Texas find themselves in hot water after being indicted over claims of "illegal electioneering." According to court records, Jesús and Lindsay Luján reportedly used their official district email accounts to push colleagues to vote in the GOP primary elections—a move deemed unlawful when done on the taxpayer's dime. The couple, both holding significant positions in the district—Jesús as the principal of Borman Elementary School and Lindsay as the principal of Alexander Elementary School—are accused of abusing their authority to influence the elections.
The Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton, has been vocal against the Lujáns' actions, filing a lawsuit against the school district under allegations that such activities are "absolutely improper for publicly funded entities." In a claim documented by The National Desk, Paxton stated, “Government officials everywhere are on notice that I will use every legal remedy available to me to stop school districts from influencing or coercing their employees to vote any particular way, especially when a district uses taxpayer resources and money to do so.”
Lindsay Luján is accused of offering 30-minute work coverage for staff to cast their votes early while circulating a list categorizing candidates as either "friendly" or "unfriendly" to public education, with Paxton himself marked as "unfriendly." Her husband, Jesús, apparently encouraged his team to use a "purple mindset" to select candidates supportive of public education and school funding. These allegations, if true, would put them in violation of Texas law that forbids governmental personnel from using their positions or public resources to sway electoral outcomes.
Apart from the indictments, the lawsuit underscores the political friction within Texas around education advocacy and the boundaries public officials must respect. Despite his efforts, Paxton cannot personally prosecute the Lujáns due to a 2021 state appeals court ruling that strips the attorney general's office of that particular power. In response to this legislative impasse, Paxton has expressed his dissatisfaction, as noted by The National Desk: "This means my office cannot criminally prosecute this type of activity or even largescale voter fraud that changes the outcome of elections in this state."
Meanwhile, Denton ISD stated that they had reached a settlement with Paxton's office on March 1st, ensuring that election laws will be adhered to going forward. In a communication recorded by Fox San Antonio, the district emphasized their commitment to upholding board policies on elections and campaign ethics, which are reviewed annually with trustees and administrators. Despite the indictments, the Lujáns have yet to publicly comment on the accusations.
