Following in fascist Florida's footsteps, Texas A&M University suspended a professor and opioid expert after she gave a routine medical lecture at the University of Texas Medical Branch that somehow offended a student in the audience. Apparently, the fragile attendee, who "has ties to Texas A&M Leadership" according to Alonzo via The Texas Tribune, thought the professor had disparaged Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick during her lecture.
Within two hours after her talk, word had reached the university's Chancellor John Sharp — a former state comptroller — who immediately texted the Lt. Governor. "Joy Alonzo has been placed on administrative leave pending investigation re firing her. shud [sic] be finished by end of week," he said.
By the time Alonzo got home, word had already reached her that her job was at stake. "I am in a ton of trouble. Please call me!" she said in a message to Professor Chandler Self, who had invited her to speak at UTMB.
From Texas Tribune:
Alonzo was right to be afraid. Not only were her supervisors involved, but so was Chancellor John Sharp, a former state comptroller who now holds the highest-ranking position in the Texas A&M University System, which includes 11 public universities and 153,000 students. And Sharp was communicating directly with the lieutenant governor's office about the incident, promising swift action.
For free speech advocates, health experts and students, Texas A&M's investigation of Alonzo was a shocking demonstration of how quickly university leaders allow politicians to interfere in classroom discussions on topics in which they are not experts — and another example of increasing political involvement from state leaders in how Texas universities are managed. …
The Texas A&M system confirmed the series of phone calls and text messages that led to Alonzo's investigation was kicked off by Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, a graduate of UTMB's medical school. The Tribune confirmed her daughter, a first-year medical student at the time, attended Alonzo's lecture. Buckingham served six years in the Texas Senate with Patrick, who endorsed her run for land commissioner last year, and she recently attended Sharp's wedding in May. …
Alonzo's predicament also comes as Texas universities are dealing with increasing government involvement in ostensibly independent public universities, particularly at the hand of Patrick, whom Alonzo was accused of criticizing. This year, Texas lawmakers banned diversity, equity and inclusion offices on college campuses, a priority for Patrick. These offices target underrepresented groups on campus to help them succeed, but critics accused them of pushing "woke," left-leaning ideology on students and faculty. …
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.
In other words, it sounds like Alonzo's remarks about Lt. Governor Patrick were vague and unmemorable, so much so that "an internal investigation could not confirm any wrongdoing" and Alonzo was eventually able to keep her job. And yes, I know, it should be a moot point — it doesn't matter what the hell a professor thinks or discusses about a political official in a free-thinking world, but this is a braindead MAGA state we're talking about, where fascists rule.
