Can She Say That? Texas Judge Sanctioned Over ‘Pussyhat’, Comment About Governor
A pink beanie with cat ears that she called her “pussyhat” while talking about reproductive health care has brought a public admonition for former Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt. But a prominent First Amendment attorney said he thinks the sanction is unconstitutional.
Eckhardt, who resigned this year to run—and win—a race for the Texas Senate, was presiding over a Travis County Commissioners Court meeting in January 2017 when she wore the hat, said a Dec. 4 public admonition that the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct released publicly Tuesday. Her sanction also mentions a 2019 comment by Eckhardt about a tree falling on Gov. Greg Abbott.
Eckhardt said she needed to “get my cat ears going here for this one,” when she talked about a proclamation that supported reproductive health care. Eckhardt’s pussy hat “could be perceived as undignified, offensive and inappropriate,” the sanction said.
