More than 100 people, including union representatives, local government officials, and Texas State students and professors, gathered at the Hays County Courthouse Thursday to protest the firing of TXST professor Thomas Alter. The importance of free speech and the dangers of placing limits on it were common threads, with speakers warning that the Alter case would have implications for not only the academic community, but for all of Texas workers.
On Sept. 10, Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse announced on Facebook that Alter, an associate history professor at Texas State, was fired for comments made at the online Revolutionary Socialism Conference.
”Conduct that advocates for inciting violence is directly contrary to the values of Texas State University,” Damphousse said in the statement. “I cannot and will not tolerate such behavior.” The behavior which Damphousse refers to occurred in a video posted on social media by a YouTube influencer which shows only a portion of Alter’s participation in the conference.
Alter claims the comments Damphousse alludes to were part of a broader discussion of social movements he participated in as a member of the Social Horizon organization, not as a representative of the University. He claims the firing violated both his first amendment rights as well as his rights to due process as a tenured professor. He has filed a suit against Damphousse and Texas State to get his job back.
“Free speech is at the cornerstone of our democracy, and the highest form of speech that gets the most protection is political speech,” said Erin Zwiener, Texas State Representative for San Marcos. “We are, unfortunately, seeing the governor and this university and universities across the state act like the First Amendment isn’t there.”
Midway through her speech, Zwiener announced that Texas State had also dismissed university employee Katrina Meadors last Friday. She stated Meadors had posted on social media expressing disappointment with the ousting of a student seen mocking the Charlie Kirk assassination during a Turning Point USA vigil on the Texas State campus. Meadors, who identified herself as a faculty recruiter, did not want to discuss the incident further until she has a lawyer.
“We all know that this is about more than one professor,” said Ilesa Daniels Ross, president of the Texas State Employees Union. “It’s a pattern of Texas State and other universities across Texas, when President Damphousse chose to listen to an aspiring You-Tube influencer who says herself that she’s embracing fascism, instead of listening to the student body, the faculty, the staff or the broader San Marcos community. We need to fight back.”
Margaret Cook, a Vice President of Communications Workers of America (CWA) said that Alter did not claim to be representing the University at the Conference.
“We all have a right to do what we want to do on our own time,” Cook said. “And I’m going to tell you that the CWA does not stand for employers abridging workers rights. What he did in his own time is his business. What that woman is doing to talk about him, is on her own time, in her own business. But at no point should the employer decide, on behalf of a radical YouTuber, what to do with a tenured associate professor.”
The Alter case represents a more comprehensive assault on worker’s rights in Texas, said Leonard Aguilar, Secretary-Treasurer of the Texas AFL-CIO.
“The attack is here on all of our freedoms. And we need to act like it, and we need to be ready to stand up. … We all need to be able to work together, and we all need to be able to find common ground to move forward together.”
Texas State graduate and San Marcos City Council member Amanda Rodriguez, said Alter is the kind of professor who would rally support for a fellow colleague in the same position he currently finds himself in.
“Tom is a brilliant educator. He not only critically thinks, but challenges his students to critically think in an era in which to critically think is seen with such stigma. … What kind of society are we living in if a tenured professor like Dr. Alter can be targeted and discarded without cause. We must understand that none of us are safe. “
The Texas State University chapter of the American Association of University Professors was represented at the rally by Rebecca Montgomery, a Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at TXST.
“We demand his immediate reinstatement and call upon the leaders of our state and institution to seize attacks on academic freedom, Montgomery said, reading from a AAUP statement. “Dr. Alter shared his political opinions in a public setting, completely unconnected to his university duties. He did not, as the administration claims, incite violence. He urged listeners to fight politically and to engage in struggle, class struggle, but he specifically disagreed with insurrectionists. His statement was about the formation of a new political party to improve upon our current system of government.”
“Beyond this specific case, the AAUP chapter at Texas State University expresses alarm at the broader destruction of academic freedom in our state and in our government, these illegal and imprudent assaults on civil liberties must stop today in Texas, long standing, AAUP principles are being trampled on by legislation that undermines academic freedom and shared governance. Faculty senates have been dissolved and professors have been barred from participating in the discipline of fellow faculty or hearing grievances filed by their peers. The full force of these policies came into effect September 1, and we can already see the devastating effects on university life.”
As per university policy, Texas State does not comment on active litigation, according to the TXST Media Relations Department.
Following the rally, Alter met briefly with the press.
He says he found out he was fired at a social media post, while he was preparing a lesson plan for one of his classes. “I was at my son’s soccer practice, enjoying watching my son and his teammates do something they love. I was actually doing something I love as well. Besides watching them play soccer, I was preparing for class the next day.”
“It was totally unexpected, because if there were to have been charges against me, it’s outlined, there’s a process to follow, and I would welcome that opportunity … to explain myself, and that’s what’s going on with the litigation.”
“Basic free speech is ongoing. Free speech doesn’t mean agreement, but it means the right to disagree and to voice an opinion, and once free speech is gone, then there’s freedom of press, freedom of assembly, then there’s due process, freedom of religion. I mean, this is what is at stake, you saw from the broad support from both faith leaders, politicians, unions and other community organizations.”
Alter had just made tenure earlier this month, and was looking forward to working with Texas State students. “I really love my time at Texas State. My family is here. We are rooted in the community. Tenure was something that we’re excited about, but it didn’t mean it was like, Okay, relax time, no it was really time to fulfill that by providing service to Texas State to teach and to engage in the academic field.”
