The sun sets on Texas State University. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/MissDirectionTV

Texas State University ranks among the nation’s 10 worst higher-ed institutions for free speech on campus, according to a new study by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).

The San Marcos-based school received the dismal designation in the of wake recent headlines about its separate firings of two professors over comments they made off campus and the expulsion of a student over an online video.

FIRE compiled its rankings of 261 colleges and universities using nearly 63,000 student responses to a wide variety of free speech-related questions. Based on the survey results, each campus received a letter grade for how protected free speech is on campus.

“At a tumultuous time for higher education, we are seeing some progress in campus free speech policies and indications that students may be less willing to tolerate shoutdowns and violence on campus compared to recent years,” FIRE President and CEO Greg Lukianoff said.

“But the overall state of free speech on campus is grim. Too many college administrators wield their power to cancel controversial speakers, cave to government or student calls for censorship and limit academic freedom. This report emphasizes the need for colleges to embrace their constitutional obligations wholeheartedly.”

Based on those survey responses, FIRE gave Texas State an “F,” putting it third from the bottom of the list.

The report specifically cites the terminations of Texas State faculty members Thomas Alter and Idris Robinson as reasons for the campus’ poor grade.

Robinson, a philosophy professor, sued Texas State after it fired him for comments he made off campus about the Israel-Palestine conflict.  

Meanwhile, Alter, a tenured history professor, was fired last year after school officials accused him of inciting violence when he spoke at a socialist conference. He too sued over his termination.

In a separate incident, Texas State University drew scrutiny for kicking out a student who posted a video on social media allegedly mocking right-wing provocateur Charlie Kirk after his assassination.

“I will not tolerate behavior that mocks, trivializes, or promotes violence on our campus,” Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse said at the time. “It is antithetical to our Texas State values.”

FIRE said university responses to events including the Gaza bloodshed and Kirk’s slaying caused several schools to tumble in this year’s rankings.

“College administrators need humility to reform policies and systems that leave students afraid to speak their minds, and the courage to shut down deplatformings and disruptions when others try to silence them,” FIRE Vice President of Research Angela C. Erickson said. “A great education requires both: the freedom to speak and the opportunity to hear ideas you might otherwise never encounter.”

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Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...