Texas A&M University reached a $1 million settlement in the lawsuit filed by a progressive Black professor the college failed to hire with tenure after receiving objections from conservatives.
Kathleen McElroy and Texas A&M announced the settlement on Aug. 3.
The New York Times reports that Texas A&M admitted to hiring McElroy to lead their journalism program at the university but sought to delay her start date and changed her contract following complaints from Republicans in the state about the professor.
An investigation by Texas A&M’s Office of General Counsel found that Senior Vice President Susan Ballabina and department head Hart Blanton noted their concerns following McElroy’s job offer.
“Regarding the McElroy recruitment, in early May 2023, Ballabina received word that
McElroy was going to be hired to lead the journalism program and that there were plans
for a public announcement,” read the report. “In a weekly meeting with Banks, Ballabina shared this news and indicated there would likely be significant media coverage.”
After Ballabina stated that she wanted the announcement of McElroy’s hiring to be held until after the adjournment of the state legislative session, Blanton replied that the university could receive negative coverage “if we ask a famous Black journalist not to share her exciting decision with the world.”
The news was delayed, but Texas A&M told the professor that the reason was due to the administrative process. A public announcement was made on June 13 featuring McElroy and Texas A&M administrators posing with balloons.
The Texas Tribune noted that several many Board of Regents members revealed concerns in emails and texts about the professor’s journalism program.
“Please tell me this isn’t true,” wrote Regent Jay Graham to Banks and Chancellor John Sharp. “But since it’s not April Fools Day, I assume it is. I thought the purpose of us starting a journalism program was to get high-quality Aggie journalist with conservative values into the market. This won’t happen with someone like this leading the department.”
On June 19, the professor was told that due to an administrative mistake, the position had been posted as a tenured position and would be re-posted as a professor of practice position. The university told her she would have to re-apply as a formality, which McElroy did on June 26.
Her full faculty position with tenure was no longer, and she was instead offered a one-year contract without tenure. McElroy — who worked as an editor for The New York Times and led the journalism program at the University of Texas — declined the offer.
McElroy told the Texas Tribune that a university administrator advised her that concerns were raised by other administrators because she is “a Black woman who worked at The New York Times.”
Following the settlement announcement, she said she hoped the resolution would “reinforce” Texas A&M’s “commitment to academic freedom and journalism.”
“Texas A&M University remains in my heart despite the events of the past month,” said Dr. McElroy in a statement obtained by KBTX News. “I will never forget that Aggies – students, faculty members, former students and staff – voiced support for me from many sectors. I hope the resolution of my matter will reinforce A&M’s allegiance to excellence in higher education and its commitment to academic freedom and journalism.”
The university admitted that “significant mistakes were made in this hiring process, primarily due to a failure to follow established policies and procedures that govern faculty hiring.”
The leaders of the university’s Black Former Student Network reacted to the news with a statement saying the professor’s treatment was “unacceptable.”
“How this University treated this respected, honored, qualified, experienced, successful, and tenured fellow Aggie is unacceptable and would have been unthinkable yet for her race and gender.”
Interim president of Texas A&M Mark Welsh apologized to the professor following the settlement’s announcement and noted that Dr. McElroy was a graduate of the university.
“Dr. McElroy is, by all accounts, an incredibly accomplished scholar,” he said. “She’s an accomplished journalist. And she’s a great Aggie, from what I hear. I would hope she understands that we’re sorry for what happened.”
McElroy is currently employed by the University of Texas-Austin with tenure.
