The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo officially rejected claims made by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo regarding her treatment at a recent Megan Moroney concert. Board Chairwoman Pat Mann Phillips issued a statement on Thursday, March 12, 2026, calling Hidalgo’s allegations of racism and sexism “absolutely false and insulting.” The Rodeo explicitly denied that Hidalgo was targeted or treated poorly due to being a Hispanic woman.
The dispute originated from an incident on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Hidalgo attempted to bring guests into the premium chute area during a sold-out Megan Moroney performance at NRG Stadium. Hidalgo was denied entry because her party lacked valid tickets for that specific section.
Following the denial, Hidalgo published a lengthy letter and audio clips to social media on Thursday. She claimed she and her guests were manhandled, shoved, and threatened with arrest by the “good ol’ boys club.” The Rodeo’s leadership explicitly denied that any physical altercation or shoving occurred. They cited the presence of multiple law enforcement officers who witnessed no such behavior.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo was escorted from the rodeo grounds Tuesday evening after being denied entry to the premium area with her guests. Hidalgo and her guests were given 21 chute tickets across three earlier performances, the rodeo statement said — a combined value of… pic.twitter.com/iogk7tOOl4
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) March 12, 2026
The Rodeo also detailed Hidalgo’s prior attendance records to counter her claims of mistreatment. The organization noted that Hidalgo had already received 21 premium tickets to previous 2026 concerts, including performances by J Balvin and Luke Bryan. These tickets carried a total value of approximately $9,000. No further legal filings or responses have been announced by either party following the exchange of public statements on Thursday.