University of Texas faculty members demand President Jay Hartzell's resignation

More than 500 University of Texas faculty members have signed a letter stating they have no confidence in President Jay Hartzell following a heavy-handed police response to a peaceful pro-Palestinian protest on campus and the recent termination of 49 staff members in former diversity, equity, and inclusion positions.

As of the fall 2022 semester, there were 3,200 teaching faculty members at the university, meaning approximately 16% have signed the declaration of no confidence. The letter, authored and circulated by the UT chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), states:

"The President has shown himself to be unresponsive to urgent faculty, staff, and student concerns. He has violated our trust. The University is no longer a safe and welcoming place for the diverse community of students and scholars who until now have called this campus home."

The letter also condemns the university's police response to the protest, accusing them of violating the First Amendment rights of demonstrators. On Wednesday, hundreds of people marched at UT to demand the university divest from Israeli weapons manufacturers and call for a cease-fire in Gaza. Despite the peaceful nature of the protest, a significant number of police officers, including those in riot gear, were deployed. 57 people were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing, with all charges dropped by the end of the week.

Regarding the terminations of former DEI staff members, Pauline Strong, president of the UT chapter of the AAUP, said:

"The firings came as a complete surprise and contradicted what we were led to believe" about compliance with Senate Bill 17.

Ammer Qaddumi, a member of the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC), who was the first person arrested on Wednesday, demanded full accountability:

"We demand full accountability for the abuse of power conducted by UT police and ordered by the UT administration."

Sources:

• More than 500 UT faculty members sign letter of no confidence against President Jay Hartzell
• Pro-Palestinian students, supporters and faculty stage daily rallies at UT after campus arrests