In addition to losing his job, the University of Texas at Austin instructor was arrested earlier this month for his alleged involvement in an anti-Israel protest on campus and is now facing criminal charges.
FOX 7 in Austin reported that Richard Heyman, 57, had been employed by the University of Texas for nearly 18 years. His most recent position at the school was as a lecturer.
Heyman teaches courses such as urban studies and contemporary cultural geography, and his interests include urban geography, critical theory and Marxism, according to the university’s website.
Mr. Heyman was arrested by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) on May 2nd after being charged by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) with obstructing official business during a pro-Palestinian protest on the campus in Austin, Texas.
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Richard Heyman, a former lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin, was arrested on May 2, 2024, after an incident during a campus protest. (Travis County)
Attorney Jerry Morris, who represents Heyman, told the station his client was fired, adding that the university should have investigated what happened before taking any action.
Morris did not respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiries regarding this matter.
“This incident was captured on video by a bystander who contacted us and provided us with the video. It depicts a slightly different scenario than what is described in the arrest affidavit. Morris told FOX 7.
In an affidavit, Texas DPS claimed that Mr. Heyman yelled at him to his face, which Mr. Morris did not dispute.
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Texas state troopers stand guard during pro-Palestinian protests against the Israeli military’s attack on Gaza in response to Hamas’ October 7 attack on the University of Texas on April 29, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite his client yelling at police, Morris accused police of initiating physical contact with Heyman.
The affidavit suggests Heyman tried to climb over a fence made of bicycles set up by officers. Heyman allegedly put his finger in the officer’s face and then appeared to wave a water bottle at the law enforcement officer.
Police also accused Heyman of grabbing one of the bikes and trying to pull it away from the fence, breaking the bike’s bell in the process.
Morris told police that his client was shoved and stumbled backwards. Heyman grabbed onto the handlebars of his bicycle during the fall, his lawyer said.
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Protesters gather on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Austin. Students finished classes on Wednesday as protests over Gaza continued to sweep university campuses across the country. (John Shapley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Mr. Heyman was not arrested until several days later, but Mr. Morris said he believed the arrest would not have occurred without political pressure on police.
“The political pressure on them is tremendous. If they didn’t take some action, the governor’s office would have issued a statement criticizing them and other state officials,” Morris said. “If this incident didn’t have such political implications, if it didn’t happen in the midst of a politically charged environment, I don’t think it would have moved on to another day. It’s just going to depend on whether the case is solved or not, and decision makers have the courage to look at the facts and judge the case based on those facts. ”
The University of Texas did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Heyman was charged with obstruction of justice, a Texas misdemeanor, according to court records.
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A warrant for his arrest was issued on May 6, and he appeared before a judge two days later, who set bail at $1,000. Heyman was later released on bond.
Heyman is scheduled to return to court on May 29.
