SAN MARCOS, Texas – A Hays County judge has ordered Texas State University to reinstate a tenured history professor who was fired earlier this month over comments he made during an online socialist conference.
Thomas Alter, who has taught at Texas State since 2017 and earned tenure in 2019, was terminated Sept. 10 after a video surfaced of him speaking at the Revolutionary Socialism Conference.
In the video, Alter urged working-class people to organize, saying in part: “Without organization, how can anyone expect to overthrow the most bloodthirsty, profit-driven, mad organization in the history of the world — that of the U.S. government?”
University officials said the remarks incited violence, leading to his immediate dismissal without a due process hearing.
Alter disputed that characterization.
“I was calling for working-class people to organize themselves and their own political party and to advocate for reforms along the way,” Alter told KSAT in an interview. “That’s what I was talking about — not an overthrow of the U.S. government.”
On Friday, a judge ruled Alter must be reinstated with pay while his lawsuit against the university proceeds. An internal hearing with university administrators is scheduled for Oct. 6.
“Tenure does not mean you cannot be fired,” Alter said. “But there is a process that must be followed, and that was not done. Besides having federal constitutional rights, the free speech every American enjoys, those were violated, as well.”
Alter said he hopes to return to the classroom.
“I love teaching … this really was where I wanted to be and to give back to the Texas State and San Marcos community, which has given so much to me,” Alter said.
In a statement, the university said it respects the court’s decision but declined to comment further, citing ongoing litigation.
Alter said he views his case as part of a larger national conversation.
“This is a broader fight in the context of what’s going on across the country for people standing up for democratic rights,” Alter said.
The entire statement from Alter at the conference can be read below:
“As anarchists, these insurrectionists explicitly reject the formation of revolutionary party capable of leading the working class to power. Without organization, how can anyone expect to overthrow the most bloodthirsty, profit-driven mad, organization in the history of the world, that of the U.S. government? ... [A] revolutionary party needs revolutionary situation for the working class to win power. We are not in that situation now, though it may be coming soon, as the crisis of capitalism only continues to deepen, and capitalists look to war and fascism to save their profit system. If we don’t build revolutionary party now this is surely our future. What we do now is incredibly important. We must educate ourselves and others in Marxism and the history of class struggle. We are by no means just reading club; our tasks are laid out in the Communist Manifesto. We must participate in the struggles of our class whatever they may be, from joining union picket lines to defending trans people. And then, as communists, connect these numerous struggles of our class into fight against the source of our oppression: capitalism. Through struggle, we can win reforms along the way, giving confidence to our class. This is how we build mass party. Reforms are not enough though. If the working class is not in power, those reforms can be lost, as we have seen in recent times. We must build revolutionary socialist party now, so that when revolutionary situation arises, the working class has the tools and organization it needs to take power. To conclude, have confidence, build workers’ power, be firebrand for socialist horizon.”
Tom Alter
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