A dispute over Texas’ new school choice program has escalated into a public clash between Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock and Attorney General Ken Paxton, highlighting tensions within state leadership as litigation continues over the program’s implementation.
In a March 24 letter to Paxton, Hancock raised concerns about alleged terrorism ties among certain schools seeking to participate in the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program and urged additional legal action.
The letter follows a recent federal court order extending the application deadline for families and requiring the state to provide Islamic schools access to apply while lawsuits over their eligibility proceed.
Hancock pointed specifically to Houston Quran Academy, one of the schools the court has temporarily allowed to participate.
“At the time the order was issued, scant evidence had been presented to the court and it was not aware that the school has documented ties to the Muslim Brotherhood,” Hancock wrote, adding that both Gov. Greg Abbott and President Donald Trump have designated the group as a terrorist organization.
