Texas State Fires Professor for Inciting Violence Amidst Second Texas Campus Termination

Texas State University terminated Associate History Professor Thomas Alter after videos from the Revolutionary Socialism Conference surfaced online, where he spoke about organizing a revolutionary socialist party and criticized various political groups. University President Kelly Damphousse stated the professor's comments constituted "serious professional and personal misconduct" and "advocated for inciting violence," making his actions incompatible with faculty responsibilities. Alter's remarks included calls for organized resistance against the U.S. government, which he described as a "bloodthirsty, profit-driven, mad organization." The termination occurred under a 2023 Texas law allowing university presidents to fire professors for conduct involving moral turpitude or other causes defined by institutional policies. The Texas State University System Chancellor Brian McCall echoed the university's stance, emphasizing zero tolerance for conduct intending to incite violence. This firing follows a similar politically charged dismissal at Texas A&M University related to course content on gender identity, reflecting ongoing tensions around academic freedom and political influence in Texas higher education.