COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Faculty Senate at Texas A&M has sent a letter to Chancellor John Sharp and acting president Mark Welsh expressing concerns and requesting Sharp's presence in a meeting with the Faculty Senate following a Tuesday article posted by the Texas Tribune.
The article claimed Sharp was in direct contact with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick when a respected opioid professor, Joy Alonzo, was placed on paid administrative leave and investigated following a lecture that she had given at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston on the opioid crisis. In the lecture, a student accused her of "disparaging" the lieutenant governor.
It was also revealed that Sharp was in direct contact with Patrick about the situation, telling him in a text message that Alonzo "had been placed on administrative leave pending investigation re firing her. shud [sic] be finished by end of week." According to the Texas Tribune, Alonzo was eventually sent another email by Texas A&M saying that her leave had been lifted and that there was no confirmation of any wrongdoing on her end.
Over the past few weeks, Texas A&M has garnered national attention following new details being brought to light following the failed hiring of Dr. Kathleen McElroy due to her background, race, and previous works. That information being brought to light later prompted now-former President Kathy Banks to resign from her position on Friday.
The contents of the letter from Speaker Tracy Hammond can be found below:
"Dear Chancellor Sharp:
The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate is deeply disturbed by the revelations in this morning's Texas Tribune article about the investigation of one of our colleagues on the faculty at Texas A&M University.
We recently wrote to you to express our concerns about the appearance of political influence in actions regarding the hiring, tenure, and promotion of faculty. Now we find another case in which there is no longer the appearance, but actual evidence, of interference by outside political forces to erode the academic freedom of Texas A&M faculty to dialog with students on socially relevant topics in their area of expertise.
This is not only having a chilling effect on our faculty but is further damaging the national reputation of our university. And it will make it even more difficult to recruit and retain the best and brightest talent.
We are requesting that you meet with the full Faculty Senate to discuss these issues and the steps that can be taken to prevent further episodes such as this in the coming academic year. Our next Senate meeting is scheduled for August 14, but we are more than willing to schedule a special meeting earlier at your request."
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