Outcry over Tarrant County judge's comments sparks community response

TARRANT COUNTY, Texas - The sparring between Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare and Commissioner Alisa Simmons during Tuesday's meeting moved some of Simmons' supporters to speak out.

There was tension during discussion on multiple occasions during the meeting.

"I’m the one talking now, so you’ll sit there and be quiet and listen while I’m talking, and you can talk later," O'Hare told Simmons during a discussion on the proposed hiring of a contractor.

The two butted heads again over some confusion during the voting process.

"Have a semblance of class! That’s all you have to do, just semblance," said O'Hare during the dispute.

"You’re going to quit talking to me like you’re crazy," replied Simmons.

A coalition of civil rights groups, including the Fort Worth/Tarrant County NAACP and other spoke up against O'Hare's comments on Thursday.

"That’s the way a parent might talk to a child, but that is certainly not the way an elected Tarrant County official should speak to an elected colleague," said Michael Bell from the Unity in the Community Coalition of Tarrant County.

"You are better than that. That kind of attitude that demeans women and takes them back to the time when they could not vote. They were considered as property of their husbands and mates. That time is over, and we will not go back," said Pastor Kennedy Jones of the Arlington NAACP.

"We are here to say this is going to stop," said Estelle Williams of the Fort Worth/Tarrant County NAACP. "Stand up, Commissioner Simmons, stand up, speak up and be heard."

The community leaders say they plan to address the issue again at the commission's May 7th meeting.

"This will not be a one and done response. We will have a sustained presence at all future commissioner court meetings. Judge O’Hare must be held accountable for his oppressive and toxic behavior," said Bell.

Simmons says she is moved by the support and remains focused on the job she was elected to do.

"I am nobody’s child on that court. I have a mother and a father, and they don’t talk to me like that," she said.

Judge Tim O'Hare's office issued a lengthy statement on Thursday afternoon:

The Commissioner of Precinct 2 has a history of alleging unfounded racism.  Recently, she chose to withhold funding from a road project in the City of Kennedale, over what she claims are racist hiring practices.  Last September, she claimed Court members were racist for choosing a County Administrator with an exemplary seven-year service record with Tarrant County over someone with no county government experience. This Commissioner also alleged racism when she unsuccessfully sued the Tarrant County 9-1-1 District in 2014, where her claims were thrown out of court by a federal judge.  

This Commissioner regularly uses foul language in meetings, including cussing and yelling at the County Administrator during the April 2nd public meeting.

This is a sideshow instigated by a Commissioner who repeatedly votes against public safety initiatives, including a recent vote against providing bullet proof vests for our dedicated law enforcement professionals. 

The focus should be on important issues facing the people of Tarrant County.  Judge O’Hare will continue to focus on providing property tax relief to everyone in Tarrant County, maintaining law and order for everyone in Tarrant County, running an efficient responsible government, and promoting Tarrant County as the best place to live in America for all.