Ineligible Mansfield school board candidate rips opponent, looks toward special election

The candidate who has been declared ineligible for the Mansfield school board election is looking toward a potential special election, according to one of his social media posts.

Angel Hidalgo is on the ballot for Place 2 but was declared ineligible April 18 because he had not been a registered voter in the district for six months by the filing deadline. If he is the top vote-getter, the board will appoint someone to fill the seat until until the next trustee election or may order a special election to fill the vacancy.

Hidalgo, in a post on his campaign page on Facebook, said he would run in a special election.

“Vote Angel Hidalgo for Mansfield ISD, Place 2 for special election possibly in November,” his post reads. “NO, I do not expect nor do I think the school board should appoint me to the seat. Special Election!”

Jandel Crutchfield, an associate professor of social work at UT Arlington, is also on the ballot for Place 2 in the May 4 election. Early voting ends April 30.

Hidalgo did not respond to numerous requests for interviews the past month, so the Star-Telegram emailed him a list of questions about the topics that would be discussed if he were to agree to one.

Hidalgo, a Spanish instructor at Tarrant County College, posted his answers to his Facebook page Wednesday and then emailed the responses to the Star-Telegram.

Asked about the post regarding the special election, Hidalgo said: “This question is an example of your inaccurate reporting. I have posted no such thing.”

Asked if he would accept an appointment from the school board if he receives the most votes, Hidalgo said, “I am declining to comment on hypotheticals.”

In a question about using his his college email to campaign, an apparent violation of the state’s election code, Hidalgo brought up homestead exemptions claimed by Crutchfield.

“What I am aware of is that it is illegal to intentionally claim homestead exemptions on 2 homes in two different states, Mississippi and Louisiana, while living in Texas, cheating those local governments and SCHOOL DISTRICTS of much needed funds, as my opponent has done,” he wrote.

Crutchfield has said she provided the district utility bills to verify her residency. There is no homestead exemption on her Mansfield home, according to the Tarrant Appraisal District.

Asked about a homestead exemption on a property in Crutchfield’s name in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the Parish of East Baton Rouge said the property was sold March 12.

Crutchfield has a homestead exemption on a home in Tupelo, Mississippi, but said that is likely a paperwork error.

“My husband owns hundreds of properties, pays hundreds of thousands of dollars in property taxes in multiple states yearly,” Crutchfield told the Star-Telegram on Thursday. “He buys and sells properties monthly as a normal course of business and sometimes paperwork falls behind.”

Mississippi law requires those with homestead exemptions to occupy the dwelling and be a resident of the state. Crutchfield worked at the University of Mississippi before joining UTA in 2018.

Asked why people should vote for him given his ineligibility, Hidalgo referred to a paper Crutchfield wrote with two others in 2021, “The Obligation of White Women: Dismantling White Supremacy Culture in Social Work Education.”

He cited the following the passage from the paper: “Unless racist views that uphold white supremacy culture are thoroughly examined, white women may perpetuate acts of violence towards their clients. White women who want to be social workers need to self reflect on why it is they want to be involved in this field.”

Hidalgo ends his statement by saying, “you would understand that should I gain enough votes to win this election, the school board would have to appoint someone to serve or declare a special election. Either option would best serve the children of our District.”

Records indicate board president Courtney Lacky Wilson knew Hidalgo was ineligible in early February. Asked whether she notified him that he wasn’t registered to vote in the district, Hidalgo replied, “No.”