The Texas State Employees Union is suing the university, claiming wrongful termination of Dr. Idris Robinson over his views in support of Palestine.
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas State Employees Union has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the university, the second of its kind in the last year.
The union announced on Wednesday that the lawsuit was filed on behalf of Dr. Idris Robinson, a tenure-track professor in the Department of Philosophy, following what they claim was “an online harassment and call-in campaign targeting him for comments he made as a private citizen during an off-campus talk where he did not use his institutional affiliation.”
The group claims that the university has quietly moved toward terminating Robinson over his views in support of Palestine.
The lawsuit asks the court to declare that the university violated Robinson’s First and Fourteenth Amendment rights and to block his termination as Assistant Professor of Philosophy, as well as award punitive damages.
“This appears to be another case where the university chose political appeasement over its responsibility to defend protected political speech,” a spokesperson for the Texas State Employees Union said. “Faculty must be able to speak as private citizens without fear that coordinated harassment campaigns will cost them their livelihoods. This case is nearly identical to Tom Alter’s and shows once again that Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse would rather cede to political pressure than defend faculty.”
“With multiple faculty, staff, and students facing retaliation connected to political speech, Texas State is developing a troubling national reputation for failing to protect free expression,” the union said.
Texas State University declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The lawsuit is similar to one filed in 2025 following the termination of Professor Tom Alter, who had been a tenured history professor at the university.
Alter’s firing came after a video emerged on social media showing him speaking at the Revolutionary Socialism Conference, an online conference put on by Socialist Horizon. During his speech, Alter discussed the various tactics that different socialist groups used and the importance of organized resistance. He criticized the Democratic Party, the Democratic Socialists of America, China and anarchists for their methods of organization.
He also criticized “insurrectional anarchists” for how they protest and said there are better ways to meet people.
“As anarchists, these insurrectionists explicitly reject the formation of a revolutionary party capable of leading the working class to power,” Alter said in his speech. “Without organization, how can anyone expect to overthrow the most bloodthirsty, profit-driven mad organization in the history of the world, that of the U.S. government?”
Alter claimed that his comments were taken out of context, and his lawsuit argued that the university violated his right to free speech and did not follow proper procedure in terminating him. He was later reinstated with pay after a judge issued a temporary restraining order while the legal process plays out.