‘You can’t say that to a woman in 2024’: Tarrant judge’s words called racist, misogynistic

Residents and members of local civil rights organizations gathered Thursday to denounce Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare’s recent treatment of Commissioner Alisa Simmons, which they described as racist, misogynistic, and publicly intimidating.

The news conference sprang from an exchange between O’Hare and Simmons at a meeting of the Commissioners Court on Tuesday, during which O’Hare told Simmons, “I’m the one talking now, so you’ll sit there and be quiet and listen to me talk.”

O’Hare is white; Simmons is Black.

A news conference was held Thursday morning in front of the Tarrant County Administration Building in downtown Fort Worth with about 20 people in attendance, including representatives of the Fort Worth and Arlington chapters of the NAACP and United Fort Worth.

O’Hare did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Those in attendance said they want Tarrant County citizens to stand up against O’Hare’s disrespect of Simmons by speaking at the May 7 County Commissioners Court meeting.

“In the wake of everything that’s been going on with the statement that he made, ‘Sit down and be quiet,’ You can’t say that to a woman in 2024,” Kennedy Jones, president of the Arlington NAACP chapter, said.

Simmons approached the crowd at the end of the news conference. She said she didn’t expect such a response from residents but was appreciative that they recognized the inappropriateness of O’Hare’s behavior.

“Because I was not going to be quiet does not mean that I’m out of order,” Simmons said. “I was speaking, I even attempted to answer his questions, and he didn’t like my question, so he didn’t answer so he would speak over me. I’m not tolerating that.”

The exchange between O’Hare and Simmons came after Simmons voiced opposition to a five month, $5,000 contract with Noah Betz, the executive director of the Huffines Liberty Foundation, to work in O’Hare’s office.

Speakers during the meeting criticized Betz’s conservative political record, calling it an ethical violation and misuse of taxpayer dollars for O’Hare to hire him. After Simmons shared her concerns about the contract, O’Hare questioned Simmons about whether her X (formerly Twitter) account is political in nature.

At one point, as they were both talking, O’Hare told Simmons, “I’m the one talking now, so you’ll sit there and be quiet and listen to me talk.”

“Don’t tell me when and when not to talk,” Simmons responded. “This is my court too.”

The contract passed with a 3-2 vote along party lines, with Simmons and fellow Democrat Roy Brooks voting against the contract.

Gwen Johnson, who attended Thursday’s news conference, said O’Hare would not have made those comments to Simmons if she was a white woman. His “toxic” behavior should show people he needs to be voted out office, Johnson said.

“Every woman in Tarrant County ought to be upset with this man’s comments,” Johnson said. “Whether white, Black, it doesn’t matter. They should be upset.”

Salvador Carrillo, director of the League of United Latin American Citizens District 21 in North Texas, released a statement to the press after Thursday’s news conference condemning O’Hare’s actions, which he called “borderline racist, certainly misogynistic, and bullying behavior ... “

Carrillo said Simmons’ questions about the contract were justified and necessary based on O’Hare’s history.

“However, Mr. O’Hare’s actions reveal who he is and how he treats those who do not fit his myopic views,” Carrillo said in the prepared statement. “His degrading and demeaning behavior will no longer be ignored.”

Starr writer Noah Alcala Bach contributed to this report.