Two Denton ISD employees had their court appearances delayed for their electioneering arraignment on Monday.
Jesus and Lindsay Lujan, who work together at Denton ISD, had their arraignment hearing rescheduled for June 18, Texas Scorecard reported.
The couple was indicted in April for allegedly using school emails to electioneer against pro-school choice candidates in the Republican primary, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The Lujans were charged with “unlawful use of internal mail system for political advertising” under the state’s Election Code, which is punishable by up to a year in jail and $4,000 in fines. The couple allegedly sent emails in February that told teachers to vote for Republicans in the March primary who oppose school choice legislation.
This is the first time Texas school staffers have been criminally prosecuted for electioneering, Texas Scorecard reported.
Jesus is the principal of Borman Elementary, and Lindsay is the principal of Alexander Elementary as well as Denton ISD’s director of special programs.
Terry Senne, a former Denton ISD school board candidate who attended Monday’s court hearing, said she was “disappointed” by the decision to delay the arraignment.
“Resolving the electioneering cases quickly could serve as a deterrent for other administrators across ISDs that there are negative consequences to illegal actions taken,” Senne told Texas Scorecard. “Continuation of these cases will only prolong the actual outcome of the cases. The longer cases are continued, the more likely people will begin to forget that this ever happened. And then it will be quietly swept under the rug again.”
“Our individual right to vote is a privilege,” she continued. “No one — including individuals who have positional authority over Denton ISD employees in this case — has the right to threaten or demand that we vote in a certain primary and that we vote for particular candidates, especially at taxpayer expense.”
Huffman ISD Superintendent Benny Soileau faces similar allegations of electioneering from Attorney General Ken Paxton, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Soileau can allegedly be heard on a leaked audio telling teachers to vote in the primary for Republicans who oppose school choice.