A Professor Criticized a Public Official. Then Her University Suspended Her.

July 28, 2023

Texas A&M placed a professor on paid leave for criticizing Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in a lecture on the opioid crisis.

by Emma Camp Reason.com

Joy Alonzo, an opioid researcher and professor at Texas A&M University, gave an uneventful lecture to a group of medical students earlier this spring. But a few hours later, she had been placed on paid leave, pending an investigation into a few comments she made about Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

While Alonzo was cleared following an investigation, that she was investigated at all spells continued concerns for a university already under fire for allegedly pushing out a professor over political complaints.

According to The Texas Tribune, which first reported on the case, Alonzo said she was reported by a student “who has ties to Texas A&M Leadership.”

At first, Alonzo’s presentation to University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) students on March 7—which focused on the opioid crisis and harm-reduction measures—seemed to go smoothly.