A Texas State University professor was dismissed on Wednesday after a video surfaced in which he seemingly endorsed political violence at a socialist conference.
Tom Alter, an associate professor at Texas State, spoke at the Online Revolutionary Socialism Conference on September 7. According to a clip shared online, he addressed the “Crisis of American Capitalism,” claiming it worsened various societal problems, including education and infrastructure.
Alter expressed that the current crisis has heightened the willingness to “fight back,” a statement that drew attention.
He discussed the need for socialists to establish a more effective organization in the U.S., criticizing multiple political groups for their disorganized approaches, including the Chinese Communist Party and Democrats.
Alter acknowledged and praised individuals who had been arrested for their activism, suggesting that their efforts were commendable, yet questioned their effectiveness without structured organization. He emphasized that confronting powerful, profit-driven entities requires coordinated efforts.
Just four days later, Texas State President Kelly Dunfeds announced his termination after the administration reviewed his remarks. Although she deemed his comments as “serious professional and personal misconduct,” she did not specify which university policies he had breached.
Dunfeds stated that promoting violence goes against the university’s values, and such behavior will not be accepted. Brian McCall, the Chancellor of the Greater TSU System, also applauded the decision, asserting that incitement of violence is unacceptable in any employee’s conduct.
Alter’s removal marks the second such incident involving a professor in Texas this week. Melissa McCall, an English professor at Texas A&M, was let go after students expressed uncertainty about the legality of discussing gender and sexuality in her children’s literature course, in light of recent directives from the Trump administration regarding DEI policies. She contended that her teaching was based on valid content, despite student pushback.
After the incident, McCall and a couple of deans from Texas A&M were also dismissed.
