Two Texas school district principals are facing criminal charges for allegedly violating state election law by using school emails to encourage faculty and staff to vote for anti-school choice candidates.
Lindsey Lujan, principal at Alexander Elementary School, and Jesús Lujan, principal at Bowman Elementary School, are married and work for the Denton Independent School District.
According to Fox 4, two administrators sent an email to staffers in February encouraging them to vote for candidates who oppose Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s school aid plan in the March Republican primary. This was revealed in court documents.
Texas school principal Ken Paxton sues school district over election law violations
Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Denton ISD over leaked emails in February. Paxton’s office and the school district have since reached a settlement.
The principals were charged with illegal use of an internal email system for political advertising, a class A misdemeanor. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $4,000 fine.
The teachers union, the American Federation of Teachers of Texas, called the charges a “politically motivated legal attack.”
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Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Denton ISD after receiving the email. Paxton’s office and the school district have since reached a settlement. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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“The recent escalation of campaigns against educators and school officials who are speaking out to fulfill their duty to promote civic engagement and highlight the high stakes of public education in elections,” the Texas AFT said, “recently increases the “This could have a serious chilling effect on the entire community.” said in a news release.
The district said election laws should be followed, but encouraged people to learn about the candidates and their positions before voting in the primary of their choice.
Lindsay Lujan’s court hearing is scheduled for next month, and her husband’s trial is scheduled for June.
