Arlington Democrat Mayor Jim Ross is facing further criticism after The Dallas Express resurfaced 2018 footage showing him using vulgar language and making explicit remarks toward Christian street preacher Ruben Israel at the Southern Decadence festival in New Orleans.

As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the footage, recorded by Vice News, shows Ross, whose face was blurred, addressing Israel with crude language:

“You stand out here like you are a badass motherf*cker,” Ross says. He then adds, “You don’t think anal sex is good, do you? Have you ever f*cked your old lady in the *ss? I’d f*ck your old lady in the *ss.”

Rich Penkoski, founder of Official Street Preachers and a long-time associate of Israel, expressed concern over Ross’s comments, citing the impact on Israel’s wife, Colleen Chavez, who has Parkinson’s disease and has been bedridden for years. “For Ross to make such a remark to a man whose wife is struggling with such serious health issues only magnifies the insensitivity of the situation,” Penkoski told The Dallas Express.

Penkoski, who took over the leadership of Official Street Preachers after Ruben Israel’s passing in 2023, shared his background.

“My name is Rich Penkoski, founder of Voice for Christ Ministries. I worked with Ruben Israel for many years, traveling across the United States and preaching at various events — including pride events and Mardi Gras,” Penkoski explained. “When Ruben passed away, he handed the reins of Official Street Preachers to me and David Grisham. Ruben’s channel, Official Street Preachers, on YouTube is still active, as is the website. Ruben Israel was the patriarch of the modern street preaching movement.”

Penkoski also described what he and his group witnessed at Southern Decadence and raised concerns about Ross’ motives for attending the event.

“Southern Decadence is essentially Mardi Gras for homosexuals. Men go there with the express intent of engaging in sodomy and other public sexual acts,” Penkoski said. “So the question becomes: How does a man like Jim Ross, who claims to be heterosexual, attend such an event and have no problem witnessing this?”

Penkoski also pointed to what he views as a perceived double standard within the LGBTQ+ community.

“The LGBT crowd loves to claim Christians are ‘hateful’ because we say what the Bible says — that homosexuality is sin and detestable to God (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26–27). But here’s the hypocrisy: Some of these same people will turn around and tell a man — using the most obscene language possible — that they want to sodomize with his wife… a wife who is bedridden with Parkinson’s disease,” he said.

“In their world, quoting Scripture = Hate speech, but sexually harassing a disabled woman = Acceptable ‘free expression.’ This isn’t love. This isn’t tolerance. This is moral corruption disguised as virtue.”

Biblical Citizenship Pastor Troy Jackson, PhD, of New Beginnings Church in Bedford, Texas, also weighed in, condemning Ross’ actions.

“Ruben Israel was no shrinking violet; yet even he deserved dignity and respect from an elected representative,” Jackson wrote in a statement to The Dallas Express. “Arlington can demand better without trading insults for insults. ‘Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good’ (Romans 12:21).”

The Dallas Express reached out to Arlington Democrat Mayor Jim Ross for comment and will update the article if a response is received.