Texas professor put on leave after complaints over pro-Palestinian talk sues school to keep job

Key Points:

• Idris Robinson, an assistant professor of philosophy at Texas State University, has sued the university alleging violation of his free speech rights and retaliation after being placed on administrative leave following complaints about a 2024 talk on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• Robinson's presentation, given as a private citizen at an event in North Carolina, addressed Hamas’s attack on Israel and Israel’s military actions in Gaza, sparking a physical altercation and online backlash that led to calls for his termination.
• Despite positive performance reviews and no involvement in the altercation, Robinson was placed on leave in June 2025 after the university received multiple complaints, with officials citing an internal assessment linked to the 2024 incident.
• The lawsuit claims the university acted in response to online activism rather than any direct knowledge of the talk at the time it was given, and Robinson seeks a federal injunction to prevent the non-renewal of his contract set for May 2026.
• The university has declined to comment on the pending litigation, while those involved in the altercation at the talk pleaded guilty to charges related to assault and resisting arrest.