Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture
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Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture
#2> Ultimately Texas A&M allowed Alonzo to keep her job after an internal investigation could not confirm any wrongdoing.
Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture
#3> Ultimately Texas A&M allowed Alonzo to keep her job after an internal investigation could not confirm any wrongdoing.
The fact that they chose to suspend the professor as an initial step is still an issue.
Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture
#4> Ultimately Texas A&M allowed Alonzo to keep her job after an internal investigation could not confirm any wrongdoing.
Nothing to see, move along. We will definitely not do it again to someone else with less connections.
Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture
#5What are the laws around the government punishing government employees for criticizing the government?
I'm not an expert but it doesn't really seem like a first amendment issue although I think most would agree that the government shouldn't be punishing its own employees for conduct like this.
Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture
#6> Neither UTMB nor Texas A&M would confirm what Alonzo said that prompted such a reaction, and UTMB students interviewed by the Tribune recalled a vague reference to Patrick’s office but nothing specific.
Without knowing what was allegedly said, this is difficult to judge, although I would certainly be inclined to side with the professor given what's been reported so far.
Professors should be given wide latitude to discuss matters of academic interest, and the opioid crisis and political decisions contributing to it certainly qualify.
On the other hand, if she made a snide comment about the TX Lt. Governor without grounding it in policy, that's not good. However, professors are only human, and I don't think it would be fair or reasonable to impose disciplinary action for isolated cases. It might potentially be worthy of disciplinary action in some cases, though... IF it was that kind of comment, and IF it was more than an isolated case.
Why? Because while private individuals are free to talk about anything they want, professors are supposed to be maintaining an environment of thoughtful academic discourse, and certain kinds of biased comments do not, therefore disciplinary (not legal) action might at some point be warranted. Far fetched? It's not as if it's unheard of for professors who disagree with politicians to go on fact-free political rants these days.
Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture
#7What are the laws around the government punishing government employees for criticizing the government? I'm not an expert but it doesn't really seem like a first amendment issue although I think most would agree that the government shouldn't be punishing its own employees for conduct like this.
This one'd probably hinge on whether the comment was "made pursuant to the employee's job duties". In chronological order:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickering_v._Board_of_Educatio... establishes a "right to speak on issues of public importance" for public employees.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garcetti_v._Ceballos limits that right when statements are "made pursuant to his position as a public employee".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demers_v._Austin extends "First Amendment protection to professors at public universities for on-the-job speech that deals with public issues related to teaching or scholarship, whether inside or outside of the classroom", but doesn't apply everywhere as it's a Ninth Circuit decision.
Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture
#8What are the laws around the government punishing government employees for criticizing the government? I'm not an expert but it doesn't really seem like a first amendment issue although I think most would agree that the government shouldn't be punishing its own employees for conduct like this.
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Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture
#9What are the laws around the government punishing government employees for criticizing the government? I'm not an expert but it doesn't really seem like a first amendment issue although I think most would agree that the government shouldn't be punishing its own employees for conduct like this.
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> Any employee that did that might be subject to negative repercussions, first amendment notwithstanding.
The government is not any employer, though. They deal with their employees under First Amendment restrictions not present in private employment.
Re: Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Patrick in lecture
#10> Neither UTMB nor Texas A&M would confirm what Alonzo said that prompted such a reaction, and UTMB students interviewed by the Tribune recalled a vague reference to Patrick’s office but nothing specific. Without knowing what was allegedly said, this is difficult to judge, although I would certainly be inclined to side with the professor given what's been reported so far. Professors should be given wide latitude to d…
>Without knowing what was allegedly said, this is difficult to judge.
You have the opposite reaction than what should be called for, if no one could even remember what was said then there is zero chance what was said was inappropriate.