The Academic Freedom Alliance released a public letter to the Texas A&M University System regarding its suspension and investigation of Prof. Joy Alonzo for statements she made as a guest lecturer in a class about the policies of Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. Patrick is well known for his attacks on higher education, recently pushing to ban tenure at state universities. Texas A&M was quick to try to mollify him when he got wind of a professor criticizing him.
The story was first broken by the Texas Tribune. Alonzo, a professor of pharmacy practice, was serving as a guest lecturer in a medical school class at the University of Texas discussing the opioid crisis. During the class, she apparently made some critical remarks regarding Patrick's resistance to Alonzo's favored policy responses. A student in the class complained to her mother, the Texas land commissioner, who in turn informed Patrick's office. Patrick's office pointed Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp at Alonzo. Sharp immediately had her suspended and launched an investigation into potentially firing her. Meanwhile, both the University of Texas and Texas A&M sent internal emails cautioning professors against saying critical things about Texas politicians.
