Just Say No.

Putting the “Petty” in Petty Authoritarianism

In the United States, the authoritarian left and the authoritarian right have much in common. But one thing the right has over the left in the current culture wars (so far) is its willingness to use the state to enforce its preferences. This has been on dramatic display in Texas recently. Dr. Joy Alonzo, a part-time faculty member at Texas A&M, landed herself in trouble earlier this year for running afoul of Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. What did she do to get herself in trouble, exactly? Well, it’s unclear, as nobody will actually say. Still, it was enough to get the attention of the Lt. Governor and for him to personally call for an investigation into Alonzo for whatever she did.

The story goes that Alonzo, an opioid expert, was giving an invited talk at the University of Texas Medical Branch on the opioid crisis. During her remarks, she criticized Texas’ inaction toward addressing the increasingly dire epidemic in its state. Allegedly, at some point, she called out Dan Patrick personally as someone who has stood in the way of instituting harm-reduction policies that have been proven to save lives. Supposedly, an audience member--who has personal connections to Dan Patrick--took offense at Dr. Alonzo’s comments and took steps to alert Mr. Patrick’s office post-haste. So naturally, being a responsible steward of public resources, Lt. Governor Patrick asked university officials to look into what the part-time faculty member said during a talk she gave to a group of students on the field in which she is an expert.

Texas A&M quickly fell in line. They placed Dr. Alonzo on administrative leave, launched an investigation, and issued a statement of formal censure (the statement omitted any details about exactly why Dr. Alonzo was being censured). Ultimately, she was cleared of any wrongdoing but not without a final word from her Dean that she should watch what she says lest she upset a state official.

I won’t rehash all of the details here, as it has been discussed at length by much more talented writers and reporters than I. But I felt it was important to frame the story in a way that lays the groundwork for my overarching concern: what happens when university officials and the state become too cozy?

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s Response

In response to the uproar surrounding Dr. Alonzo’s case, Lt. Governor Patrick wrote an op-ed in the Houston Chronicle in which he attempted to defend his actions. It mostly reads as a “free speech, but” statement--quite literally. I’ll quote from the opening paragraphs to give you a sense:

It is indeed shameful if the media has intentionally distorted his words, which is why we should all be glad he could use his First Amendment right to free speech to defend himself in his own words. 

They’re worth a look.

In his piece, he lays into professors for using academic freedom as a cudgel to exert “total control of all aspects of campus life.” It is unclear to me what he means by this, but suffice it to say that universities should probably prioritize education, and that’s what professors are there to provide, so maybe they should have some say in what happens on campus. 

He goes on to say that receiving criticism is part of being a public official and that it doesn’t bother him. Nevertheless, he was alarmed by the evidence he was provided of Dr. Alonzo’s wrongdoing. So, as a matter of course, he contacted the university and asked them to look into it, which he says he would do for any complaint he received from a student or parent worried about something they heard on campus. Given all the ideas exchanged on a university campus during any given day, one has to wonder, is such a policy truly a wise use of public resources?

What he found most worrying, though, was the response from the faculty senate. The Texas A&M “Faculty Senate” (which Patrick oddly put in scare quotes as if the body was made up) launched its own investigation into the investigation. According to Lt. Governor Patrick, “Their outrage seems based on the belief that anyone who dares ask a question about what is being taught or said in a classroom at a state university is somehow challenging their ‘academic freedom.’” 

They’re right, and Lt. Gov. Patrick seems to misunderstand the issue at hand fundamentally. He isn’t just “anyone”; he is the Lt. Governor of Texas. He is a public official with tremendous power that he can wield against individual professors he deems troublesome. This is quite different from a parent or a student raising concerns with the university. States have a legitimate monopoly on force, and they have a duty to wield that responsibly. The most alarming aspect of his comments is how little the Lt. Governor appreciates this fact.

Universities should prioritize academic freedom, even if politicians have difficulty understanding it.

The most troubling element of all this is the outlook for academic freedom and free speech on campus. In a world where administrators are comfortable doing the bidding of thin-skinned public officials, nobody is safe. If faculty can’t expect their institution to stand behind them when their academic freedom is questioned, they cannot conduct consequential research. Truth-seeking is often uncomfortable, inconvenient, and offensive. Questioning decisions made by public officials is, to use an overused phrase, a cornerstone of liberal democracy. These things go hand-in-hand, and without an expectation that they will be jealously guarded, we’re all in trouble.

Not to mention that in this specific case, the chilling effect can be fatal--literally. Dr. Alonzo is an opioid expert called upon to offer her expertise in addressing the opioid crisis in Texas. If, instead, she and others like her fear their research and public comments will get them in trouble, people could die if public officials stifle or ignore this work. Short of committing an actual, demonstrable crime, there is little room for considering the feelings of decision-makers who stand in the way of protecting their citizenry.

Not to mention that politicians simply don’t have the right to squelch free inquiry. Lt. Governor Patrick argued in his piece that, as recipients of tax dollars, faculty at public universities are not immune to accountability. Maybe so, to an extent. But while the state funds public universities, they are also independent of the state. This is intentional. Faculty, as experts in their fields, are rightfully given the freedom and latitude to go where their research takes them. Rarely does this lead to actual wrongdoing or nefarious activities on the part of the faculty. Instead, it typically leads to newer and better understandings of questions that are socially beneficial to answer.

This is not to say that there are no instances of faculty conducting questionable research or making questionable statements in class. Some professors are bad at their jobs, and some prefer ideology over scholarship. But this is not the norm. Most professors are professionals who engage with different ideas and encourage their students to do the same. Politicians calling for punishment of professors who say things they don’t like is no different than radically ideological professors penalizing students for the same. There’s a power imbalance. Except politicians also have the guns.

Universities should stand against efforts to chill academic freedom and free speech on campus, especially from the state. Giving an inch on this means we all lose a mile. Despite universities’ many issues, we can be sure the state is not the solution. Like the rest of us, politicians are limited human beings who face incentives and express preferences, except they also have a lot of power. Coming down on an individual for wrong-think is Soviet stuff. Universities should get serious about rejecting any and all attempts to normalize such behavior.