Mansfield school district says it is unsure if candidate is eligible for board
The Mansfield school district said Thursday that it was not able to verify whether a candidate on the May 5 ballot is eligible for school board.
In a statement, the district said it was investigating the eligibility of Place 2 candidate Angel Hidalgo, but said his opponent Jandel Crutchfield was eligible.
Opponents of Hidalgo and Crutchfield have questioned their residency, citing tax and voting records.
“The Board of Trustees has been consulting with the district’s legal counsel and election officials at the local, county and state levels to review Dr. Angel Hidalgo’s eligibility and the information between Texas’ election code and government code. The findings remain inconclusive at this time,” a statement attributed to school board president Lackey Wilson said.
The statement also said the deadline to remove a candidate from the ballot passed, so Hidalgo would remain on the ballot regardless.
Hidalgo is a Spanish instructor at Tarrant County College. Crutchfield is an associate professor of social work at UT Arlington.
On Friday, in a statement to the Star-Telegram, a school district spokesman responded to a Star-Telegram question about what would occur if Hidalgo received more votes than Crutchfield.
“If an ineligible candidate receives the votes required to be elected to the position, then a vacancy is declared,” said Donald Williams, an associate superintendent of communications and marketing. “That resulting vacancy can be filled in the Board’s regular manner for filling vacancies.”
The statement said the person whom the board appoints to the position can serve until the next trustee election, or a special election, but no longer than 180 days.
Last week the Star-Telegram reported that voter registration and property records showed Hidalgo was likely out of compliance with requirements to run for school board because he was not registered to vote at his Arlington address for six months before running.
The Dallas Express, an online news outlet whose publisher is former Republican congressional candidate Chris Putnam, published a story alleging that Crurcthfield has homestead exemptions on multiple houses.
In an interview with the Star-Telegram Tuesday, Crutchfield said she was “going to take the high road,” and not address allegations in the article and those made by others in Mansfield.
Crutchfield said she was not sure whether she has a homestead exemption in Mississippi, but said it could be tied to her and her husband’s business.
Crutchfield said she has lived in Mansfield for six years, has children in the district and has used water and utility bills to prove their residence.
Hidalgo has declined multiple requests for comment.
This story was originally published April 4, 2024 at 5:21 PM.
