ROUND ROCK — The saga continues in Round Rock Independent School District, as school board trustee Tiffanie Harrison’s longtime campaign aide, Jacquita Wilson, tells people to “get they a** down to the polls” and “vote for Tiffanie,” before pointing to a Robert “Beto” O’Rourke campaign sign and saying, “If you don’t vote for Beto, I’m gonna punch you in yo’ face.”
@KenPaxtonTX @GovAbbott
This is RRISD Trustee Tiffanie Harrison’s campaign mgr. making threats to “punch people in their face” if they don’t vote for Beto. Harrison, Feller, Weir & Zarate volunteers at the polls are being extremely aggressive. Send DPS to monitor Wilco please. pic.twitter.com/lPfHk8H9Mn— Cindi K (@cindikaren) November 1, 2022
RRISD has been embroiled in controversy for more than a year as parents fight everything from transgender bathroom policies to a superintendent accused of domestic violence and a school board majority accused of protecting the districts’ image over their students.
Texas Scorecard has chronicled multiple scandals involving Round Rock ISD in a special report and a podcast series, Exposed, which includes investigations into the school board’s rushed hiring of Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez.
Five trustees—Amy Weir, Jun Xiao, Amber Feller, Cory Vessa, and Tiffanie Harrison—dubbed the “Bad Faith Five” by parents, voted to hire Azaiez despite the objections of trustees Weston, Bone, and local parents. The five allegedly covered up domestic violence allegations against Azaiez and continue protecting him through ongoing criminal investigations.
Tiffanie Harrison, whose record also includes moderating a discussion on “How to Be an Antiracist” by leading critical race theory proponent Ibram X. Kendi, is facing Don Zimmerman in the November election.
Zimmerman alleges the comment by Wilson could violate Texas law, which prohibits threatening to harm voters in retaliation for their support or opposition to a candidate.
In response to Wilson’s video, Zimmerman said, “Our opposition has made numerous general false allegations, and specious calls to 911 claiming ‘harassment’ against them at polling places, but in fact as the video proves, they are the ones unlawfully harassing voters at the polling place. This illegal activity must be immediately condemned and investigated.”
Additionally, Wilson previously “made public videos insinuating that conservative voters had sent ‘disgusting packages in the mail’ to ‘harass’ Harrison.” According to the Zimmerman campaign, which has repeatedly asked for updates on that investigation, “there is zero new information publicly available from this highly publicized claim of alleged victimhood.”
Zimmerman is part of the Round Rock One Family slate of candidates running against the five incumbent trustees. All five slate candidates have also been endorsed by the Texas GOP and 1776 Project.
Early voting is ongoing through November 4. Election Day is November 8.
Tiffanie Harrison’s campaign did not respond to Texas Scorecard’s request for comment before publication.
