Lubbock County Judge denies sexual contact allegations made by justice of the peace
Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Susan Rowley, Lubbock County Judge Curtis Parrish (Images from Lubbock County)
LUBBOCK, Texas - The top elected administrative official in Lubbock County, a West Texas regional hub of roughly 310,000 residents, strongly denied allegations Tuesday of unwanted sexual contact made by a local justice of the peace, calling the claims "preposterous" after an interview detailing her account was published online.
Sexual contact allegations
The backstory:
The accusations against Lubbock County Judge Curtis Parrish were made public in a recorded audio interview conducted with Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Susan Rowley. The interview was released by the Lubbock Lampoon, a local political satire page on Facebook.
In the audio recording, Rowley said she had long regarded Parrish as a trusted friend and legal mentor, dating back to when both were on the campaign trail in 2018. Rowley said she turned to him for support and guidance during a period of severe depression following the death of her brother.
Rowley alleged that during an initial meeting inside his office, Parrish closed the door, hugged her, and initiated an unwanted kiss. In a subsequent encounter in the same office, Rowley stated that Parrish again closed the door, made non-consensual physical contact over her clothing, and forcibly moved her hand onto his lap.
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What they're saying:
"He majorly crossed the line right there," Rowley said in the recording, adding that she pulled her hand away, ended the interaction, and has avoided being alone with him since.
In an email response to a FOX Local media inquiry Tuesday, Parrish dismissed the claims and criticized the online outlet that posted the recording.
"I have no comment on this preposterous allegation," Parrish wrote. "Also, the clickbait satire Facebook page you mentioned did not attempt to contact me prior to or after making their false postings."
Dig deeper:
Both officials are Republicans who took office in 2019 after winning election in 2018. As county judge, Parrish serves as the chief administrator and presiding officer over the county's governing commissioners court. Rowley serves as a magistrate handling small claims, local misdemeanor cases, and preliminary judicial proceedings in the West Texas county.
Before taking office as county judge, Parrish worked as an attorney, state legislative aide, and local radio and sports broadcaster, notably serving for years as the public address announcer for Texas Tech University athletics. Rowley entered judicial office after working in local county government.
Rowley's term ends Dec. 31, 2026.
Parrish's term ends Dec. 31, 2030.
The Source: Information in this article is from the interview posted on the Lubbock Lampoon Facebook page, a statement from Judge Parrish, the Lubbock County website, and the Texas State Directory.