A former employee of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s Office has filed a lawsuit against the County, alleging that Hidalgo engaged in race- and sex-based discrimination in her office. Hidalgo is not named as a Defendant in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed on October 21 in a Federal court by Plaintiff Tera Roberson and first reported by the Houston Chronicle, seeks a declaration that State and Federal laws prohibiting sex- and race-based discrimination and retaliation, reinstatement to “an appropriate position”, financial damages, equitable relief “necessary to restore Plaintiff’s professional standing”, and attorney’s fees.
According to the lawsuit, Roberson – who is Black – was hired by Hidalgo’s office in February 2024 and was promoted to the position of Director of Multimedia Communications and Creative Strategy in October 2024 with a “substantial raise.”
Shortly after receiving that promotion and raise, Roberson expressed concerns about discrimination in the office.
“On October 21, 2024, Plaintiff complained in writing to her supervisor, Angelica Luna Kaufman, that Kaufman had repeatedly stated that Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo preferred white men for certain communications leadership roles. Plaintiff expressly raised her concern as a Black woman, questioned whether she would receive a genuine leadership opportunity, and warned that disclosure of the complaint could expose her to retaliation,” the lawsuit states.
“Plaintiff thereafter filed a formal complaint with Harris County Human Resources alleging race discrimination, sex discrimination, and retaliation. Harris County agreed to ensure that Judge Hidalgo was informed of Plaintiff’s concerns. Within days, Plaintiff’s treatment changed; she was sidelined from communications responsibilities and, on November 22, 2024, terminated within hours after Human Resources advised her that the complaint would be referred for an outside investigation.”
The lawsuit also discussed an investigation conducted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission into Roberson’s allegations.
Her lawsuit asserts that the Commission “found reasonable cause to believe that Harris County discharged Plaintiff in retaliation for protected activity” and “specifically found that Plaintiff was terminated approximately ten days after protected activity, that Harris County produced no documentation of performance issues predating the protected activity, and that witnesses and other evidence showed a change in Plaintiff’s treatment after her complaint.”
Hidalgo, who was first elected in 2018, chose not to seek re-election this year. A recent poll conducted by the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs showed that Hidalgo – who has been the subject of multiple public controversies – was viewed unfavorably by 63% of likely voters in Harris County, with just 30% having a favorable impression of her.
Despite not running for re-election, Hidalgo has embarked on significant international travel under the guise of trade missions during her closing months in office. Last month, Hidalgo made an official visit to Paris, France, which she had previously visited during a June 2025 “trade mission.” Over the past year, Hidalgo has also visited Taiwan, Japan, Germany, Portugal, and the Netherlands.
