TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Texas State University fired associate history professor Tom Alter for a second time on Oct. 13 following a review of his case during a due process hearing. The university alleged that he made in appropriate statments with his comments at the online Revolutionary Socialism Conference, a charge that Alter continues to deny.
On Sept. 10, Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse announced on Facebook that Alter was fired for “serious professional and personal misconduct” after the University reviewed a video of his comments during the conference posted on the social media platform X.
“Conduct that advocates for inciting violence is directly contrary to the values of Texas State University,” Damphousse said in the Sept. 10 post. “I cannot and will not tolerate such behavior.”
The statement was later amended by Damphousse to replace “inciting violence” with “inciting criminal behavior.”
On Sept. 22, Alter filed a lawsuit against the University alleging that his first amendment rights were violated and that the reasons for firing “were false and give every appearance of politicallymotivated discrimination.” Alter claims that the comments were made as a member of the Socialist Horizon organization and not as a representative of Texas State.
Hays County District Judge Alicia Key granted an injunction in Alter’s favor on Sept. 26, requiring Texas State to add him back to the payroll (although he was not allowed to teach) pending the outcome of a review of the case. However, on Monday the university doubled down on the initial charge, with University President Kelly Damphousse confirming the firing in a letter to Alter.
A Texas State spokesperson told The Daily Record on Tuesday that Alter’s firing would go into effect right away.
“After a thorough review of Dr. Alter’s conduct and the information provided during his due process hearing, President Damphousse has notified Dr. Alter that his employment at Texas State University is terminated, effective immediately.”
Alter issued a statement after he received the letter from Damphousse.
“On October 13, 2025 I was notified that I was summarily terminated from my employment as a tenured professor of history at Texas State University,” Alter said in his statement. “I stand in opposition to Texas State University’s attack on democratic rights that are protected by the Texas and United States Constitutions as well as the academic freedom that was once the hallmark of Texas higher education.
“To be clear, my termination is part of a broader political attack being carried out by the authoritarian far-right to crush democracy and democratic institutions in the United States in general and Texas in particular. But the charges leveled against me by the Texas State University administration do not stand up to the facts; I have truth on my side and I look forward to my day in court.”
Alter’s supporters were quick to denounce the University’s decision. Ilesa Daniels Ross, President of the Texas State Employees Union, who spoke at the Sept. 25 a pro-Alter free speech rally at the Hays County Courthouse, said this ruling would discourage Texas State University faculty and staff from defending their Constitutional rights.
“President Damphousse had an opportunity to uphold the first amendment,” Ross said in a statement posted on the TSEU website on Monday. “Instead, he chose to send a chilling message to every faculty member and student who dares to speak out or stand up for their rights at Texas State.”
On the same day that he fired Alter, Texas State President Kelly Damphousse addressed the faculty and staff of the university with a post on the official Texas State University website.
The following quote is only part of the “Special Message.” For the complete message, visit president. txst.edu/communications/ message-oct-132025.html “My goal as an academic leader has always been to make changes that advance the mission of the university as we adapt to an ever-evolving environment. … When you serve your colleagues as they strive to meet their own goals, you realize the important role you have in making this university better. That is why you do what you do. “While there are certainly national issues related to higher education that may cause you concern, I acknowledge that you might also be frustrated by things that have happened specifically on our campus. I have heard from many of you how these issues affect you. I mourn how these past few weeks may have diminished your faith in my leadership. I get it. I am unable to specifically address personnel and student issues, but please do not mistake that silence for indifference or lack of empathy. What I can tell you is this: the decisions I make as president are guided by my commitment to ensuring that the mission of this university endures for generations to come.”
On Tuesday, Alter’s lawyer Amanda Reichek of Tillotson Johnson & Patton, who also works for Texas American Federation of Teachers, provided the Daily Record with a copy of the letter President Damphousse sent to Alter notifying him of the second firing. For the complete letter, please visit sanmarcosrecord. com/article/ 31556,txst-confirmsalter- firing-after-dueprocess- hearing.
The letter includes rebuttals to Alter’s claims about the panel discussion, as well as Alter’s response to a viewer question after the discussion, which referenced his job at Texas State.
“You described Texas State’s history as a teaching school, and you said that Texas State was the 19th largest university campus in the country. You also stated that most of your students are education majors. In referencing President Lyndon Johnson’s history as having earned an education degree at Texas State, you remarked, ‘I can’t wait until the day we tear down the Lyndon Johnson statue on campus as well.’
“In isolation, these comments may appear innocuous or merely distasteful. However, in the context of your call to mobilize young, working- class people into a Revolutionary Party, this discussion of your role at Texas State University and in teaching the state’s and country’s future educators directly raises the specter of improper political influence on Texas State students. Your comments and discussion at the conference call into question your neutrality as an educator.”
The Damphousse letter ended with the following statement: “The totality of your actions and your subsequent explanation for such actions reflect a serious lapse of judgment which has affected the trust placed in you by this university. For these reasons, I find that you remain subject to summary dismissal. Your dismissal is effective on October 13, 2025.”
Alter continues to claim that his rights were violated in a statement made on Oct. 13 “My termination, in clear violation of my First Amendment rights to freedom of speech, association, and of assembly brings shame, embarrassment and a heavy blow to the academic reputation of Texas State University. This hurts not only faculty, staff, current students and alumni but the San Marcos community as well.”
Reichek also provided a copy of the letter which Alter sent to President Damphousse on Oct. 6, prior to his due process hearing. Attached were letters of support for Alter from Graduate Students in the Texas State History Department, the Organization of American Historians, the American Historical Association, as well as statements from the Labor & Working Class History Association, the American Association of University Professors, and a resolution from the East Texas Historical Association.
