Category Archives for Pat Hardy

Anti-Sex Ed Candidate Routed in Texas State Board of Education Runoff

Eric Mahroum — who supports displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools and opposes teaching about birth control in sex education classes — went down in flames in Tuesday’s Republican runoff for the District 11 seat on the Texas State Board of Education. Longtime incumbent Pat Hardy easily defeated Mahroum 59%-41% in the Republican runoff for […]

Also posted in 2014 Texas SBOE elections, Andrea Hilburn, Eric Mahroum, Erika Beltran, TFN | 3 Comments

Texas Ed Board Candidate Who Fathered Child at 16: Supports Ten Commandments, Opposes Sex Ed in Schools

A Republican candidate for the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) who fathered a child at age 16 says public schools should be allowed to display the Ten Commandments but shouldn’t teach about birth control in sex education classes. Eric Mahroum, 31, is challenging incumbent Pat Hardy in Tuesday’s Republican runoff for the District 11 seat on the […]

Also posted in 2014 Texas SBOE elections, Eric Mahroum, TFN | 18 Comments

Texas Ed Board Candidate Worries Schools Are Teaching Communism

It’s sometimes hard to know whether candidates for the State Board of Education (SBOE) in Texas really believe the crazy things they say. Today, for example, the Texas Tribune quotes Eric Mahroum of Fort Worth explaining one of the reasons why he’s running for the District 11 seat on the SBOE: “You have CSCOPE teaching our children that communism […]

Also posted in 2014 Texas SBOE elections, CSCOPE, Eric Mahroum, TFN | 16 Comments

Candidates in Two Texas State Board of Education Primary Contests Head to Runoffs

One of the most divisive members of the Texas State Board of Education‘s far-right faction survived a tough re-election fight in his Republican primary on Tuesday. Candidates in the two other contested primary races for seats on state board are headed to May 27 runoffs. Incumbent David Bradley, R-Beaumont Buna, defeated challenger Rita Ashley of […]

Also posted in 2014 Texas SBOE elections, A. Denise Russell, Andrea Hilburn, David Bradley, Eric Mahroum, Erika Beltran, Lady Theresa Thombs, Rita Ashley, TFN | 1 Comment

Texas Ed Board Candidates Want Religious Beliefs Promoted in Public Schools

We told you Monday that a religious-right group’s voter guide reveals that several Republican candidates in Texas State Board of Education elections this year think government shouldn’t be responsible for making sure all children get an education. The same candidates also support shifting tax dollars from public to private schools. So it might not be surprising to […]

Also posted in 2014 Texas SBOE elections, church and state, creationism, David Bradley, Eric Mahroum, evolution, intelligent design, Lady Theresa Thombs, marriage, TFN | 14 Comments

Texas Education Board Candidates Say: Government Shouldn’t Be Responsible for Educating Kids!

You might think that all of the candidates seeking election to the body that oversees the public education system in Texas would actually support public education. But candidate answers in a religious-right group’s voter guide this month suggest you would be wrong. At least three Republican candidates — including one incumbent — in this year’s […]

Also posted in 2014 Texas SBOE elections, David Bradley, Eric Mahroum, Lady Theresa Thombs, Rita Ashley, TFN | 16 Comments

Creationist Former SBOE Chair Endorses Challenger in Key Texas Ed Board Race

Don McLeroy, who infamously declared that “somebody’s gotta stand up to experts” in the debate over teaching evolution in public school science classrooms, has waded into a key Texas State Board of Election (SBOE) election contest. Eric Mahroum announced on Jan. 29 that the creationist former SBOE chair is backing his challenge to incumbent Pat Hardy […]

Also posted in 2014 Texas SBOE elections, Don McLeroy, Eric Mahroum, Lady Theresa Thombs, TFN | 6 Comments

Challenger Outspending Far-Right Incumbent in Texas SBOE Primary Race

With just a month go before the March 4 primary elections, challenger Rita Ashley is outspending — by far — incumbent David Bradley in the Republican primary race for the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) District 7 seat in Southeast Texas. Ashley lost to Bradley in the 2012 GOP primary. She is a former […]

Also posted in 2014 Texas SBOE elections, A. Denise Russell, Andrea Hilburn, David Bradley, Eric Mahroum, Erika Beltran, Lady Theresa Thombs, Rita Ashley, TFN | 1 Comment

Texas Ed Board Election Debate: Chuck E. Cheese! Monkeys! Socialist Higher Education!

Is a Chuck E. Cheese manager qualified to serve on the State Board of Education in Texas? How about a candidate who opposes allowing people in “socialist higher education” to write history lessons? Those were just two of the intriguing issues discussed at a recent forum for Republican candidates in the District 11 SBOE race […]

Also posted in 2014 Texas SBOE elections, Eric Mahroum, Lady Theresa Thombs, TFN | 2 Comments

Right-Wingers Target Two GOP Texas Ed Board Members, Accuse Them of Promoting ‘Socialist Ideology’

Right-wing activists are angry with a couple of Republican members of the State Board of Education who have refused to hop on their crazy train. The source of their anger (right now, anyway) is CSCOPE, the curriculum management tool that we reported about last month. CSCOPE is a product of a collaboration of regional Education […]

Also posted in CSCOPE, State Board of Education, TFNEF, Thomas Ratliff | 25 Comments