Toolkit to Contact the Board of Regents Before November 10th
10/13/2025:
Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse Undermines Free Speech, Upholds Firing of Professor Tom Alter After Sham Process
San Marcos, TX- 10/13/25 – In a deeply troubling move that strikes at the heart of the First Amendment, Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse has upheld the termination of Dr. Tom Alter, a tenured history professor, after a coerced and fundamentally flawed due process hearing.
Damphousse’s decision, which he promised would be released by Friday October 10th but was delayed until Monday the 13th, betrays not only his word but the university’s public commitments to fairness, transparency, and the protection of free expression. This delay reflects the same disregard for accountability and due process that has marked the administration’s handling of this entire case.
“President Damphousse had an opportunity to uphold the first amendment,” said Ilesa Daniels Ross, President of the Texas State Employees Union. “Instead, he chose to send a chilling message to every faculty member and student who dares to speak out or stand up for their rights at Texas State.”
In a campus-wide message sent just hours before Dr. Tom Alter was informed that his termination would be upheld, President Damphousse spoke at length about shared governance, collaboration, and his concern for how the university community is affected by “current challenges.” Yet his decision to uphold the firing of a tenured faculty member for protected speech exposes the emptiness of those words.
The contrast between Damphousse’s rhetoric and his actions is stark. While he calls on faculty and staff to “move forward” and trust in the administration’s judgment, his refusal to defend free speech or engage transparently on this issue undermines the very trust he says he wishes to rebuild.
Observers across campus have noted that President Damphousse’s decision comes amid intensifying political pressure on Texas universities to fall in line with partisan agendas hostile to free speech. This pattern raises serious questions about whether President Damphousse’s choices reflect his own views on free expression, or if this decision is part of an effort to appease political forces that punish campus leaders who act otherwise.
Dr. Alter’s firing, which a court compelled the university to re-examine after finding due process violations, has drawn national attention from academic, labor, and civil liberties organizations.
The Texas State Employees Union (TSEU CWA Local 6186) condemns this action in the strongest possible terms. The university’s leadership has made clear that speech that does not fall in line will be punished, not protected.
“Kelly Damphousse’s tenure as president will be remembered not for strengthening this university but for breaking its trust with those who make it what it is, that is its faculty, staff, and students,” said a faculty member speaking anonymously out of fear of retaliation.
TSEU will continue to fight alongside Dr. Alter and all university workers for justice, free speech, and a campus that lives up to its public mission. TSEU is proud to be in coalition with the Committee to Defend Tom Alter.
9/10/2025: The Texas State Employees Union CWA Local 6186 (TSEU) condemns the abrupt termination of Dr. Tom Alter, a respected historian, educator, and active member of the Texas State University community, for statements he made as a private citizen.
Without a hearing or any meaningful opportunity to respond, university administrators under the leadership of President Kelly Damphousse removed Dr. Alter from his position in response to an online campaign led by Karlyn Borysenko. Borysenko has publicly called for embracing fascism, stated that Jewish people chose to die in the Holocaust, and refers to herself as an ‘anti-communist cult leader.’ She recorded a talk that Dr. Alter gave at the Revolutionary Socialism Conference on Sunday, September 7th and began calling for his firing on social media on Monday, September 8th. The transcript of the talk can be viewed here.
“This is exactly what the First Amendment protects against,” said TSEU President Ilesa Daniels Ross. “No public employee should fear losing their job because they expressed personal views outside of work. Texas State University’s decision sends a chilling message to every faculty member, staff member, and student: your livelihood can be taken away if political actors don’t like what you say on your own time.”
Dr. Alter, a beloved professor known for his scholarship in U.S. labor and social movement history, received no due process. He gave the talk in question at a conference on Sunday, September 7th, and Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse released a public statement announcing Dr. Alter’s termination on Wednesday, September 10th. The statement has since been updated to remove mention of Dr. Alter by name.
TSEU calls on Texas State University to:
- Reinstate Dr. Alter immediately.
- Publicly affirm the constitutional right of all employees to speak as private citizens without retaliation.
- Establish clear policies guaranteeing due process before any termination related to off-duty expression.
“This isn’t just about one professor,” added Daniels Ross. “It’s about protecting every Texan’s freedom to speak their mind without government interference. If a university president can cave to an extremist YouTuber today, what stops the next attack on free expression tomorrow?”
TSEU urges students, faculty, and community members to stand together and demand that Texas State University live up to its First Amendment obligations.
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Petition for Texas State University Faculty, Staff, Students, and Alumni
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Please direct all media inquiries to ckissinger@cwa-tseu.org
View the full talk here: