University officials issued a written reprimand for the alleged comments. The lawsuit argues Texas Tech violated her free speech rights.
Jessica Priest
Jessica Priest covers higher education, working in partnership with Open Campus. She joined the Tribune in 2022 as an engagement reporter in the ProPublica/Texas Tribune joint investigative unit, contributing to a series that was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in the explanatory reporting category. Prior to the Tribune, Jessica worked for the Fort Worth Report, USA Today, the Victoria Advocate and the Temple Daily Telegram, reporting on topics that included criminal justice, the environment and local government. Her work has often made an impact. The state’s highest criminal court granted a death row inmate a new trial after she detailed a prosecutor’s conflicts of interest. After she exposed questionable hirings and payments at a port and later a water district in another part of the state, both public entities underwent reforms. Jessica was born in Houston and graduated from Sam Houston State University.
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Higher Education
Texas State University professor’s firing after Israeli-Palestinian comments blocked
Philosophy professor Idris Robinson argued that his comments, made in an off-campus setting, were protected speech.
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Higher Education
Texas Tech cautions broadcasting research restrictions to prospective students
Experts worry graduate students will learn too late about university’s ban on research work related to sexual orientation and gender identity.
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Higher Education
New Texas A&M president confirmed as university seeks stability
Susan Ballabina takes charge of the state’s largest public university after previous leaders faced political backlash.
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Higher Education
UNT approves buyouts for professors, faculty as it tackles budget shortfalls
A drop in international student enrollment and state funding contributed to financial woes at the University of North Texas. Other state colleges face similar challenges.
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Higher Education
Protesters challenge premise of Texas A&M civil discourse symposium amid new restrictions
Some students said the message of the forum, headlined by former Vice President Mike Pence, rang hollow as the university has placed limits on what professors can teach.
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Higher Education
Texas Tech System leader cancels academic programs “centered on” sexual orientation, gender identity
Chancellor Brandon Creighton directed provosts to phase out the programs and ordered universities to recognize only “two human sexes.”
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Higher Education
This state agency was created to investigate Texas universities. How that works is a mystery.
Office of the Ombudsman has no written policies on how to investigate allegations that education laws are being broken, even though it’s been accepting complaints for three months.
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Higher Education
University of North Texas to cut more than 70 programs and minors to trim $45 million deficit
Offering new details, President Harrison Keller said no state official pushed for the changes, which include phasing out degrees in linguistics and Latin American and women’s and gender studies.
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Higher Education
GOP-led fight over allegations of student indoctrination raises tensions at University of Houston
Some professors push back after a five-page curriculum checklist was unveiled and several deans directed instructors to affirm that they don’t indoctrinate students.