Collin College critics rally behind faculty who are challenging a ‘regime of silence’ - The Dallas Morning News

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Collin College critics called out administrators for compromising the school’s quality after four professors alleged they were pushed out over free speech issues.

Tuesday night, members of the college’s Texas Faculty Association and others rallied in support of Michael Phillips, a history professor who claims his contract was not renewed because he was critical of the school’s COVID-19 protocols and voiced other community concerns.

“This is a pattern that has to stop,” Phillips said. Three of the faculty whose contracts were not renewed were leaders of the school’s TFA, he noted, adding that the college is “clearly union busting.”

Supporters held signs that read “free speech is an American value” and “we stand in solidarity with Texas faculty” outside of the college’s education center in McKinney, just before trustees held their monthly meeting.

They chanted “reinstate Phillips” after the professor and other speakers voiced concerns about the direction the college is headed. Several spoke at the board meeting on behalf of current faculty who fear retaliation for voicing their concerns.

Phillips alleges that Collin College officials did not renew his contract because of his criticism of the school’s COVID-19 protocols; of his requesting students to consider wearing a mask during class; and of his involvement in community efforts to remove Confederate monuments across Dallas.

Phillips is the latest of four professors who say they were pushed out by the college administration throughout the past year over free speech issues. The school has since drawn widespread scrutiny from academic groups and First Amendment advocates as it also faced multiple lawsuits.

Attorneys at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education filed lawsuits on behalf of three faculty members, including Phillips, who is also author of a history book called White Metropolis: Race, Ethnicity, and Religion in Dallas, 1841-2001.

School officials did not respond to the supporters at the meeting. However, the college “vehemently disagrees with Dr. Phillips’ mischaracterization” of his departure, Collin College spokesperson Marisela Cadena-Smith said in a statement.

She noted that Phillips signed a term contract which ends in May, under which there is “no right or reasonable expectation of continued employment beyond the term of the contract.”

Collin President Neil Matkin has underscored in previous staff-wide emails that his administration does not retaliate against faculty and staff members.

Legal challenges by faculty claim that the administration has created a culture of fear.

Lora Burnett, a former history professor, alleged she was fired for criticizing former Vice President Mike Pence on Twitter. Earlier this year, she settled with the school after accepting $70,000 as well as attorney fees, but Collin College did not admit liability.

Suzanne Jones, who taught education, alleged she was fired for denouncing the college’s handling of the pandemic and because of her leadership within the school’s TFA affiliate, an organization that seeks to protect the rights of higher education faculty.

Audra Heaslip, a humanities professor, also alleged that she was fired for voicing her concerns over the school’s COVID-19 measures. Heaslip has not sued Collin College.

FIRE has included Collin in its “10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech” list in 2021 and 2022.

Several academic groups have condemned the campus administrators’ actions, saying faculty should not fear retaliation over exercising their free speech rights.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, Matkin’s contract was prolonged for three more years, which will mark a decade-long tenure for the school leader.

FIRE attorney Greg Greubel, who attended the rally, noted that it was important for education advocates to continue pushing back on the school because “Collin has created this regime of silence that’s not allowing the faculty to speak out on matters of public concern.”

The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.

The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from The Beck Group, Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, The Meadows Foundation, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Todd A. Williams Family Foundation and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.

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