"Texas A&M Suspended Professor Accused of Criticizing Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in Lecture"

July 25, 2023 1 min read

Eugene Volokh
Volokh Conspiracy, Reason Magazine

 Excerpt: "The professor, an expert on the opioids crisis, was placed on paid administrative leave and investigated, raising questions about the extent of political interference in higher education, particularly in health-related matters."

 So reports the Texas Tribune (Kate McGee & James Barragan); though the leave was lifted after two weeks, this strikes me as quite troubling.

Click here for link to full article


Leave a comment


Also in National Free Speech News & Commentary

The Rise of Civics Centers at America’s Universities
The Rise of Civics Centers at America’s Universities

December 18, 2025 4 min read

There is a growth sector in American higher education. The number of “Civics Centers” has exploded in the last decade, and especially since 2021. 

What are these civics centers, and what explains their proliferation now? 

Heterodox Academy (HxA), the leading non-partisan higher education reform organization in the US for faculty, staff and students, championing open inquiry, viewpoint diversity and constructive disagreement, has decided to provide some answers.

Read More
Demagogy or Pedagogy? A Better Way to Approach Antisemitism on Campus
Demagogy or Pedagogy? A Better Way to Approach Antisemitism on Campus

December 18, 2025 1 min read

In February of this year, a few colleagues and I co-founded a group called Concerned Jewish Faculty & Staff (CJFS), which now has more than 200 members on more than two dozen campuses. Our group, which is predominantly made up of academics at Massachusetts colleges and universities but includes members from across New England, is one of several such efforts nationwide that have coalesced into a new National Campus Jewish Alliance. 

We recognize that Jewish safety is inseparable from the safety of all people, and we work to foster academic environments that reduce antisemitism by treating educators as partners, not as suspects.

Read More
Snapshots of Censorship: ‘It’s Only 3 or 4 Words’
Snapshots of Censorship: ‘It’s Only 3 or 4 Words’

December 18, 2025 1 min read

Read More