MEDINA COUNTY, Texas – A Medina County justice of the peace was reprimanded by the state and ordered to go through sexual harassment training last month after telling a female county employee via text message that he sometimes has naughty thoughts about her, records obtained by KSAT Investigates show.
The punishment of Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Clyde “Bubba” Howse was finalized Oct. 12 by the State Commission of Judicial Conduct.
In May, Howse requested the cellphone number of a female employee of one of the other precincts, according to the reprimand.
After texting the woman and confirming it was her, Howse asked if anyone else would see her messages. After she responded that she did not think so, Howse told her via text message, “Good. Becuase (sic) sometimes I have naughty thoughts about you!! Do you want to know what they are about ?? (sic)”
The female employee, who KSAT is not identifying, became “very upset” by the text message and “was shaking, fearful and felt very ill,” the reprimand states.
The woman subsequently filed a complaint that day with the county’s human resources manager.
Confronted about the text message the next day, Howse told the HR employee and an assistant district attorney who was present as a witness that it was “the way that she dresses,” and “her pants are so tight you can tell what religion she is,” the reprimand states.
Howse was ordered not to have contact with the woman and was again directed to stay away after he stopped by the office she works in days later, according to the reprimand.
During the investigation, the HR manager discovered Howse had sexually harassed other county employees, including one woman who turned down an “initial advance” from Howse only to have him ask her “if she wanted to have a threesome,” the reprimand states.
In a written response to the State Commission of Judicial Conduct’s inquiry, Howse acknowledged sending the text and that he believed the woman wanted everyone to notice her because she wore tight leggings/Spandex pants, according to the reprimand.
Howse defended his conduct by stating the woman should have told him he offended her instead of reporting him to HR, the reprimand states.
The commission last month issued the reprimand on the basis that Howse failed to be patient, dignified and courteous by making sexual advances through text message to the woman, and for failing to perform his judicial duties without bias or prejudice, according to the reprimand.
Howse was ordered by the commission to obtain, with a mentor, five hours of training in the areas of sexual harassment and courtesy towards people he deals with in an official capacity, the reprimand states.
Howse did not respond to a phone call from KSAT seeking comment Friday.