Lubbock County provided one documented complaint against County Judge Curtis Parrish in response to a Lubbock Lights records request covering his tenure since taking office in January 2019.
The complaint came in an August email from a county administrative assistant who said she felt uncomfortable after Parrish turned off her office lights and sat silently while she finished working.
The three-page email chain includes her account and correspondence about meeting with Human Resources. It contains no investigative findings, disciplinary action or response from Parrish.
What Lubbock Lights requested
Lubbock Lights emailed its request to R. Neal Burt, civil chief in the district attorney’s office, at 8:07 a.m. Sept. 15.
The request asked for complaints or accusations of inappropriate, unethical or criminal behavior made against Parrish by employees or citizens during “the last 8 calendar years.”
It included complaints made to Human Resources, the sheriff and other county offices, including the civil and district attorney offices. Lubbock Lights agreed the county could black out information consistently considered confidential by the Texas attorney general.
What the employee reported
Ernestina “Tina” Robertson, the Commissioners Court front administrative assistant, emailed Human Resources Director Melanie Hall on Aug. 5 under the subject line “Concerned Employee.”
Robertson wrote that Parrish entered the front office where she worked at approximately 4:59 p.m. Aug. 3 as she was finishing a work email.
She said Parrish told her he would sit for three minutes and asked her to tell him when it was 5:01 p.m. He then told her he was turning off the office lights and asked whether she could work with them off.
Robertson said she answered, “yes sir.”
Parrish remained seated until she told him it was “5:01 with 12 seconds,” then left, she wrote.
“The entire time I was in the dark and sending this email I felt very uncomfortable with the Judge just sitting there in the dark not talking,” Robertson wrote.
“He never stated why he was sitting there for these 3 minutes.”
Robertson said she had taken time to consider whether to report the encounter but felt she needed to because it had made her uncomfortable.
“I felt very uncomfortable with the Judge just sitting there in the dark not talking”
— Tina Robertson, in her Aug. 5 email to Human Resources
Human Resources responded that afternoon
Robertson sent her email at 2:32 p.m. Aug. 5. Hall responded at 5 p.m. and offered to meet later that week.
They exchanged scheduling emails Aug. 6. Robertson suggested the following morning, but Hall had a conflict and proposed Tuesday at 2 p.m.
On Aug. 11, Robertson asked whether they were still meeting that day. Hall confirmed she was available at 2 p.m.
That is where the email chain ends. There is no confirmation that the meeting took place or record of how the concern was handled.
The county’s response to Lubbock Lights
The county asked the Texas attorney general Sept. 29 whether it could withhold some of the requested information and sent the records for review Oct. 6.
In an Oct. 23 letter, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Irlbeck withdrew that request, saying the county had been advised the documents “are not the subject of the pending criminal investigation.”
The withdrawal came 38 calendar days after Lubbock Lights requested the records. The county then provided the three-page email chain. The documents reviewed for this story do not show the exact delivery date.
Irlbeck said other records requests involving a pending criminal investigation were unaffected. Her letter did not identify the subject of that investigation or establish that Parrish was under criminal investigation.
Timeline: the complaint and the records request
- Aug. 3, 2026
- Robertson says the encounter with Parrish occurred shortly before 5 p.m.
- Aug. 5
- Robertson emails Human Resources at 2:32 p.m. Hall responds at 5 p.m. and offers to meet.
- Aug. 6
- Robertson and Hall exchange proposed meeting times.
- Aug. 11
- Hall confirms availability for a 2 p.m. meeting. The released correspondence ends without documenting whether it occurred.
- Sept. 15
- Lubbock Lights submits its request for complaints against Parrish, using the wording “the last 8 calendar years.”
- Sept. 29
- According to the county’s letter, it notifies the attorney general it will seek a ruling on withholding information.
- Oct. 6
- According to the letter, the county submits responsive documents to the attorney general.
- Oct. 23
- The county withdraws its request for a ruling, saying the responsive documents are not the subject of the pending criminal investigation.
- Production date not established in supplied records
- The county returns one responsive record: the three-page employee email chain.
