Alter was fired for allegedly inciting violence during a speech.
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A district court judge on Friday ordered that Thomas Alter, a recently tenured associate professor of history at Texas State University, be reinstated, The Texas Tribune reported. Hays County District Judge Alicia Key granted an injunction 16 days after Alter was terminated for allegedly inciting violence during a speech he gave at a virtual socialism conference. Alter sued, claiming that the university violated his free speech and due process rights and breached his employment contract.
Alter will not be allowed to teach classes but will be reinstated without pay, the university told The Texas Tribune. According to Alter’s lawyer, the university will now review Alter’s case using its standard faculty investigatory processes while the lawsuit continues.
Alter is one of several public university faculty members who have been terminated in recent weeks for online speech. On Wednesday, a South Dakota district court judge ordered that the University of South Dakota reinstate Michael Hook, a tenured art professor who was put on leave after posting comments on Facebook about Charlie Kirk’s death.
