Texas Water Board Development Chair L'Oreal Stepney, who is Black, was consoled at one point by lawmakers after the exchange Thursday with GOP state Rep. Brian Harrison, who questioned her and other agency officials over their hiring practices.
“While passionate and open discussion will always be welcomed, comments that demean and belittle will never be tolerated," Republican state Rep. Greg Bonnen, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, posted on X. Harrison is an outspoken critic of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in state government.
Greg Abbott wiped away tears and gave an emotional defense of her credentials after a tense exchange over diversity hiring policies, which was later followed by the state's top Republicans rushing to support her publicly.
Harrison's line of questioning prompted Democratic state Rep. Nicole Collier, who is Black, to express her outrage at having “to watch two Black women have to defend 246 years of systemic racism.”.
She said March would mark 33 years working for the state and listed off her two engineering degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, one in aerospace engineering and the other in civil engineering.
