The Texas State University System (TSUS) Board of Regents will hear Associate History Professor Thomas Alter’s appeal of his termination at its meeting on Nov. 20.
Alter was terminated on Sept. 10, but was reinstated after a court ruled that his initial firing violated his due process rights. Alter was fired again on Oct. 13 after a due process hearing. Alter filed an appeal that was first heard by a TSUS subcommittee on Nov. 10, but will now be heard by the Board of Regents.
“The struggle for free speech will continue regardless of the outcome of this hearing. If the Board reverses my termination, it will be a victory that strengthens the fight to defend hundreds of others being attacked, fired and persecuted for their ideas,” Alter said in a press release emailed to The Star. “If they uphold it, we will be on the front line of that struggle nonetheless.”
Alter was terminated after he spoke at a socialist convention. Texas State President Kelly Damphousse wrote, in a letter Alter provided to The Star, that Alter was fired due to speaking about Texas State during a panel at the convention.
Alter’s appeal being heard comes after Gov. Greg Abbott wrote in a post on X that Texas was targeting university faculty and administrators for ideological reasons.
“Texas is targeting professors who are more focused on pushing leftist ideologies rather than preparing students to lead our nation,” Abbott wrote in the post. “We must end indoctrination and return to education fundamentals at all levels of education.”
Members of the Board of Regents are directly appointed by Abbott.
The Committee to Defend Tom Alter (CDTA) started a letter campaign to petition the Board of Regents to reinstate Alter. More than 6,000 people, including over 4,200 academics, have submitted letters.
In a press release emailed to The Star, the CDTA claims Alter’s firing is unconstitutional and violated his First Amendment rights. They also say his termination creates a chilling effect on faculty political participation. Alter’s firing has already led some outside academics to withdraw from working with Texas State professors and their classes
“No university procedure can justify punishing protected political speech,” CDTA wrote in its press release. “This case will determine whether professors can participate in political life outside work without fear of termination.”
It is unclear when the Board of Regents will announce a decision after the appeal is heard.
The meeting will be held at Sam Houston State University. The meeting starts at 12:30 p.m. and can be watched online.
