Less than a week after his termination, Associate History Professor Thomas Alter plans to file a lawsuit against Texas State since it failed to meet his demands of reinstatement on Sept. 15.
Alter was fired on Sept. 10 after Karlyn Borysenko uploaded a video of Alter speaking at the Revolutionary Socialism Conference. Borysenko calls herself an “anti-communist cult leader,” and posted a YouTube video titled “Why I’m embracing fascism.” Texas State President Kelly Damphousse said in a statement that Alter was terminated for “conduct that advocates for inciting violence.”
“The truth is that Dr. Alter was terminated because he espoused views that are unpopular in today’s conservative, politically-charged climate, in violation of his First Amendment right to free speech,” Amanda Reichek, Alter’s attorney, wrote in an email statement to The Star. “Dr. Alter intends to pursue swift legal action to enforce his due process and First Amendment rights.”
While the university has claimed Alter was fired for “conduct that advocates for inciting violence,” officials have declined to clarify which policies Alter allegedly violated.
“The reasons given by the administration that Dr. Alter engaged in ‘conduct that jeopardizes the health and safety of [the] university community,’ and ‘reflects inappropriate and poor judgment as a faculty member at Texas State University,’ are false and give every appearance of politically motivated discrimination,” Reichek said.
According to Alter, he first found out about his termination through Damphousse’s statement while he was at his son’s soccer practice. Alter said he was also sent a termination email from the Provost, but wasn’t sure if it was sent out before or after Damphousse’s statement was posted online.
Alter said the response he has received from students has been heartwarming.
“The outpouring of support from the students is just natural and heartfelt and so real that that’s what keeps me going in many ways,” Alter said.
According to Alter, his termination is one of the few, if not only, cases of a tenured professor being fired with no due process. He said his firing is harmful to academic freedom on campus.
“It sets a totally dangerous precedent,” Alter said. “It can only create a chilling environment at Texas State amongst faculty.”
The Star reached out to many faculty members to get their reaction to Alter’s firing. Many were willing to speak to The Star, but only anonymously, as they were afraid to speak out and face possible retaliation.
“The anonymous faculty members is a sign that something is wrong,” Alter said. “That faculty do not feel they can express their opinions in the open, to the student paper … that you cannot express your rights to speak … shows that something is wrong.”
Alter said he was concerned not just for himself, but also for the students he served as a teacher, graduate advisor or student organization advisor for.
“Those student organizations picked me to be their advisor, the graduate students picked me to be their advisor,” Alter said. “Being separated from them … it’s been depressing and it’s affected them. It’s hurt them.”
The Texas State Employees’ Union, of which Alter is a member, has created a petition to have him reinstated. Alter encouraged Texas State faculty to join the union, as well as academic associations such as the American Association of University Professors, because those organizations have helped him.
“Those two unions have been invaluable,” Alter said. “I would not have been able to put together my defense without the support of my two unions, so I highly encourage it if it was something you were thinking about.”
Alter said he is seeking to be reinstated. He also said that the lawsuit would be filed in a Hays County court, instead of in a different county or in federal court.
Reaction to Alter’s Termination
Elected officials, academics and members of Texas State faculty have condemned Alter’s firing
Rep. Erin Zwiener (D-Driftwood) released a statement on Facebook, criticizing the firing and suggesting it may have been illegal.
“This is especially troubling, because the summary firing appears to be in direct conflict with SB 18, the tenure legislation that was passed in 2023,” Zwiener wrote in the statement. “That legislation allows for the firing of tenured faculty but only if due process is followed. There appears to be no due process in this instance.”
Benjamin H. Johnson, graduate programs director and professor at Loyola University Chicago, who was an outside academic during Alter’s tenure review, sent a letter to members of the university administration.
“I am writing to make sure that you understand the enormous damage you have done to Texas State University, academic freedom and the First Amendment, by summarily firing Professor Alter for comments he made in his capacity as a private citizen,” Johnson wrote in his letter.
Johnson criticized the administration for listening to Borysenko due to her past statements.
“That person now apparently decides who teaches at Texas State University,”
Johnson wrote. “You have not only injured Alter, but you have insulted your own students, faculty, and administrative colleagues by replacing their judgment with that of this blogger.”
Johnson also asked Dean Mary Brennan and Provost Pranesh Aswath to consider stepping down from their administrative positions.
“I suggest that you think long and hard about the damage to your reputation that remaining in your administrative posts under such a derelict President might do,” Johnson wrote.
A Texas State professor, who knew Alter, spoke with The Star under the condition of anonymity due to fears of retaliation. The professor said he believes Alter’s firing will lead to a decrease in the number of people applying for faculty positions at the university.
The professor also said he believes the university compromised its academic integrity by firing Alter. He also said he was worried the university could target other professors, both tenured and not, as well as students, for their speech.
“I think the university wanted to make an example of Alter,” the professor said. “Something like that can happen to anybody … maybe that’s what the President wants.”
