LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Assistant Professor Jairo Funes-Flores has been reinstated following an investigation into social media posts he made in January.
A statement released Friday by Texas Tech University President Lawrence Schovanek and Texas Tech University System Chancellor Ted L. Mitchell called the statement “hateful, anti-Semitic, and contrary to our code of ethics.” also affirmed the university's commitment to freedom of speech and primacy. The amendment states that the investigation “found no evidence of a violation of Texas Tech University's policy regarding discriminatory harassment.”
The OEO (Office of Equal Opportunity) report found that “we found no evidence that the defendant shared or discussed the views he posted on X regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict in a classroom or work environment. “We found no evidence of what had happened.” Classroom and work environments constitute discriminatory harassment based on race or religion. ”
The original social media post strongly criticized Israel, its supporters, and “those who seek to ignore the suffering of Palestinians.”
Funes-Flores was suspended on March 4.
On March 7, student groups rallied to support him.
The full statement released by Texas Tech officials can be found here.
Survey results for TTU faculty
Below is a letter from Texas Tech University Chancellor Dr. Lawrence Schovanek and Texas Tech University System Chancellor Ted L. Mitchell, M.D., shared with Texas Tech University faculty this Friday afternoon.
University and system officials had no further comment on this matter.
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Dear teachers,
Six weeks ago, Assistant Professor Jairo Funes-Flores was suspended pending the outcome of an investigation conducted by Texas Tech University's Office of Equal Opportunity Systems (OEO). OEO's investigation aims to determine whether the personal feelings Professor Funes-Flores posted on social media were expressed in the classroom or work environment, and whether there was any evidence of discriminatory harassment that violates Texas Tech University or U.S. policy. The purpose was to determine whether an incident had occurred. Letter to my colleagues at the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR).
After completing its investigation, OEO found no evidence of any violation of Texas Tech University's policy regarding discriminatory harassment. As a result, Professor Funes Flores' suspension with pay has been terminated and he has been allowed to return to his duties.
It is important to reiterate that we find the social media posts by Professor Funes-Flores regrettable, hateful, anti-Semitic, and contrary to our Code of Ethics. It is. The sentiments he expressed are anti-Semitic, according to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of anti-Semitism. This definition is also adopted by the Texas Government Code, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.
Texas Tech University is committed to academic freedom and recognizes the First Amendment as a public university. As a public institution of higher education, we are bound by the First Amendment when it comes to faculty issues related to speech and expression.
Equally important, Texas Tech University's Code of Ethics outlines standards of conduct for members of the community. We expect differences in perspective to be expressed in a professional and civil manner. Personal attacks and insults are not tolerated in the Texas Tech University campus environment.
Although we have the right to express ourselves freely as individuals, we also have an obligation to do so in ways that are commensurate with our standing on campus and in our communities. As educators, we have a responsibility that goes beyond preparing students for professional careers. Our words and actions must support students to become responsible citizens and to be prepared to engage civilly and respectfully with others who hold different views. Professor Funes-Flores' social media comments fail to meet this broader responsibility.
We remain committed to providing an environment that fosters the success and well-being of our students, faculty and staff. To that end, we endorse Governor Abbott's Dear Colleague Letter to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, which prohibits anti-Semitic harassment on college campuses, and his March 27, 2024, We will continue to actively comply with Executive Order GA-44. Prohibits anti-Semitism in public higher education institutions in Texas.
A summary report of the completed investigation is available here.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lawrence Schovanek Ted L. Mitchell, MD
Texas Tech University President, Texas Tech University System Chancellor
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