By CG Bartell

Texas Hill Country

Texas State University in San Marcos — a city located between San Antonio and Austin — abruptly fired tenured history Professor Dr. Tom Alter on Sept. 10, three days after he gave an off-campus talk at a socialist conference. Right-wing influencers had recorded Alter’s talk on Zoom and began calling for him to be fired. 

Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse announced that Alter had been fired and wrote: “Conduct that advocates for inciting violence is directly contrary to the values of Texas State University. I cannot and will not tolerate such behavior.” 

Little did these right-wing provocateurs and the Texas State University administration know of the support for Alter this attack on his speech would spark. The Texas State Employees Union, Alter’s lawyer, students and the community would soon show that Dr. Alter neither advocated for violence nor broke any of the university’s rules. On Sept. 25, Dr. Alter’s supporters held a rally outside of Hays County Courthouse and demanded he be reinstated.

The next day Hays County District Judge Alicia Key found that Texas State University should reinstate Dr. Alter.  As a result, he has been reinstated by the University with pay but will not be allowed to teach. But that is not the end of it. Dr. Alter has filed a lawsuit against the University for his wrongful termination. 

In the lawsuit, Alter’s attorney says that the professor’s comments were taken out of context and that the school ignored state tenure laws and violated Alter’s free speech. He also argues that Alter’s talk at the conference is relevant to his expertise: “working-class history and social movements.”