Texas Professor Put On Leave After Complaints Over Pro-palestine Talk Sues School To Keep Job

A tenure-track adjunct professor who was put connected administrative time off past twelvemonth aft nan assemblage allegedly received complaints and allegations successful relationship to a talk he gave connected nan Israel-Palestine conflict, has sued Texas State University complete his termination.

Idris Robinson, adjunct professor of philosophy, is accusing schoolhouse officials of violating his free reside and retaliating against him, according to nan lawsuit. He is asking a national tribunal to extremity nan schoolhouse from terminating his contract, which is group to extremity successful May.

“After years of outstanding reviews and dependable advancement towards tenure, Professor Robinson was abruptly placed connected administrative time off connected June 6, 2025 — conscionable 1 time aft online activists demanded his termination successful relationship pinch a reside he gave arsenic a backstage national connected a matter of nationalist interest successful nan Summer of 2024,” nan suit publication successful part.

“Robinson has already suffered irreparable harm successful nan deprivation of his First Amendment authorities nether nan United States Constitution. Without an injunction, he will besides suffer his occupation connected May 31, 2026, causing further irreparable harm to him and nan young family he supports,” nan suit continued.

The assemblage cannot remark connected pending litigation, a spokesperson told NBC News successful an email.

According to nan lawsuit, tensions betwixt Robinson and assemblage officials started aft he said astatine nan Another Carolina Anarchist Bookfair successful Asheville, North Carolina successful June 2024. His talk was called “Strategic Lessons from nan Palestinian Resistance” and covered Hamas’s onslaught connected Israel successful October 2023 and Israel’s subject aggression successful Gaza. He did not coming connected behalf of nan university, but alternatively arsenic a backstage citizen, according to nan lawsuit.

A skirmish collapsed retired during his talk betwixt 4 assemblage members and 3 pro-Israel activists, including an 79-year-old Holocaust survivor, who were livestreaming nan event.

One victim told ABC 13 that she had her telephone knocked retired of her manus soon earlier nan altercation intensified.

The 3 group filming Robinson’s talk were Jewish and sustained insignificant injuries, according to section news reports astatine nan time.

Three of nan attendees charged successful nan incident pleaded blameworthy to elemental assault, according to a March 11 connection from nan Buncombe District Attorney’s Office. A 4th personification pleaded blameworthy to resisting a nationalist officer. All 4 were put connected supervised probation for 1 twelvemonth and must complete 30 hours of organization service. They cannot interaction immoderate of nan 3 victims.

According to nan lawsuit, Robinson was ne'er identified arsenic a witnesser aliases fishy successful nan 44-page constabulary report.

But he said he faced an onslaught of online harassment and calls directed astatine nan assemblage for his termination soon after.

In 2025, he was placed connected administrative time off from Texas State University contempt “glowing” capacity reviews successful caller years. An email to Robinson from assemblage officials explained that “this action is being taken pursuing nan receipt and soul appraisal of aggregate complaints and allegations regarding an incident that occurred successful nan summertime of 2024,” according to nan lawsuit.

The assemblage had “worked itself up into a civilized panic” complete Robinson’s presentation, nan suit continued.

“No grounds suggests anyone astatine TXST had moreover heard of this nationalist talk astatine nan clip it was given. Rather, TXST learned of it when, connected June 5, 2025, online activists abruptly began agitating for his firing,” nan suit read.

The Instagram post Robinson refers to successful his suit accused him of glorifying coercion and praising Hamas. It listed nan university’s telephone number and encouraged group to telephone for his firing. A period later, Robinson received a announcement that his statement would not beryllium renewed aft May 2026, according to nan lawsuit.

Robinson is 1 of respective professors successful caller years who person faced disciplinary action complete pro-Palestine comments. Last year, world groups sued nan Trump administration for arresting students and module members linked to pro-Palestinian protests.