Texas Tech University: Assistant Professor Suspended for Anti-Israel Social Media Commentary

On March 4, 2024, after a media outlet published a roundup of his social media activity, Texas Tech University suspended assistant professor Jairo Fúnez-Flores because of his social media posts critical of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, which the university described as “antithetical” to its values. FIRE wrote Texas Tech on March 13, urging the university to reverse its suspension of Fúnez-Flores because the First Amendment protects his speech as a private citizen on matters of public concern, and suspending him without first giving him an opportunity to respond to the charges raises due process concerns. On April 12, Texas Tech announced it had reinstated Fúnez-Flores and cleared him of wrongdoing.