Dan Patrick Doesn't Give A Shit

This will cause problems for both UT & A&M in recruiting/retaining faculty.

“a shocking demonstration of how quickly university leaders allow politicians to interfere in classroom discussions on topics in which they are not experts” #txlegehttps://t.co/Jnvra1xG5u

— Jennifer Harris (@jwharris) July 25, 2023

Dan Patrick tried to end tenure at Texas public universities in the last legislative session.  This is just the cherry on that shit cake.  This just reaffirms he really meant it.  He's in charge, and you don't fuck with him.

(The tl;dr on the article is that a student at a lecture on opiods by a nationally recognized expert teacher on the TAMU faculty, speaking at UTMB Galveston to first year med students, was upset about something about reportedly said about Patrick.  No; seriously:

When students at UTMB received the email hours after the lecture, several started texting each other, trying to figure out what Alonzo had said that was so offensive.

According to one student who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation from the school, some students wondered if it was when Alonzo said that the lieutenant governor’s office was one of the reasons it’s hard for drug users to access certain care for opioid addiction or overdoses.

A second student who also asked to remain anonymous for the same reason said Alonzo made a comment that the lieutenant governor’s office had opposed policies that could have prevented opioid-related deaths, and by doing so had allowed people to die.

A third student who also spoke on the condition of anonymity said Alonzo talked about how policies, like the state’s ban on fentanyl test strips, have a direct impact on the ability to prevent opioid overdoses and deaths. A push to legalize the test strips died earlier this year in the Patrick-led Senate despite support from top Republicans, including Abbott.

All of the students interviewed said they felt Alonzo’s comments were accurate and they were not offended by anything in the presentation.

But one student was:

On March 21, two weeks after she was placed on paid leave, Alonzo received an email saying her leave had been lifted.

The following day, pharmacy school Dean George Udeani said in a memo to Alonzo that during the lecture she “related an anecdote and an interaction with a state official.”

“I understand that your comment did not assign blame. However, some members of the audience felt that your anecdote was offensive,” he wrote.

“While it is important to preserve and defend academic freedom and as such be able to discuss and present to students and the public the results of research observations and strategies, you should be mindful of how you present your views,” Udeani said.

Alonzo is not a tenured faculty member.  And reports of the "offense" went to Patrick (there are receipts) and back down to her supervisor, via the Chancellor of TAMU System, before she could finish her 2.5 hour drive back home from Galveston.  The message is clear:  "Watch your ass.")