OF. THE. Defend freedom of expression! No to the fascists! Immediate Reincorporation of Professor DR. Tom Alter!
16/9/2025
Socialist Horizon Statement
The beloved senior professor of History and member of Socialist Horizon, Tom Alter, was summarily dismissed on 10 September by the president of Texas State University, Kelly Damphousse, for expressing your opinions in a non-university related virtual conference. This is unacceptable. Socialist Horizon makes a global call to join the demand that Professor Alter be reinstated.
President Damphousse dismissed Dr. Tom Alter based solely on a video posted online by a far-right provocateur who infiltrated and secretly recorded segments of a virtual socialist conference with the intention of publishing information to slander and attack the conference participants. In the videos published on their website, this person proudly declares to be a fascist, trying to monetize the exposure of the left by presenting himself as "the leader of an anti-communist sect". This scammer publicly exhorts her followers to embrace fascist ideology and act accordingly, She is an anti-Semite who claims that the Jewish people "chose to die in the Holocaust", She is a self-declared racist and xenophobe., a homophobe and transphobe who spews hate speech through her platform designed solely to inflame and incite hatred.
After the "denunciation video" of the fascist reached the hands of President Damphousse, He summarily dismissed Dr.. Alter, full professor, without questioning or investigating its content, without considering its authenticity or validity, without any type of procedural guarantees and violating state legislation and university policy, that requires a formal procedure of procedural guarantees.
After the "denunciation video" of the fascist reached the hands of President Damphousse, He summarily dismissed Dr.. Alter, full professor, without questioning or investigating its content, without considering its authenticity or validity, without any type of procedural guarantees and violating current state legislation and university policy, that requires a formal procedure of procedural guarantees.
What did Alter say that triggered the fascists and that Damphousse finds so unacceptable?
The statement issued by Damphousse to fire Dr. Alter unambiguously states that he fired Alter for what he said at that conference, without indicating any other reason, and accusing Alter of "inciting violence". But Alter's speech, whose transcription can be consultedhere, does not call for violence at all.
Alter spoke out against this cruel and unfair system, advocated replacing it with socialism, and advocated organizing politically to achieve it. Alter's political viewsreflect those of almost half of the total population of the United States. Almost half now oppose capitalism and 40% He is in favor of socialism against capitalism. Alter's views are far from subversive, reflect a massive current. It is a just cause that more and more people are joining., which many believe is worth fighting for, which represents a change of thought that scares reactionaries, fascists and capitalists.
In fact, It is the fascist infiltrator who incites violence against the oppressed and, in this case, directly against Alter. He is Alter's employer, Texas State University, who has inflicted violence: stripping Alter of his job, denying him any due process, throwing him and his family into the uncertainty of unemployment and making them a target of the far right, while crushing their freedom of expression and academic freedom. Alter's First Amendment right to expression has been violated, guaranteed by the Constitution, as well as their academic freedom, a right protected by your national teachers union, the American Association of University Professors.
The fact that a fringe fascist with an extremist and dangerous ideology could pressure the President of a prestigious public university to illegally fire a tenured professor for his views is alarming.. And the most worrying thing is that, if we don't stop this, will set a precedent that will embolden reactionaries, most dangerous right-wing extremists and fascists, that they will continue to attack people throughout the country. If they can influence and direct the President of the Texas State University system so easily, Who else will they chase??
We demand that President Damphousse put an end to this blatant attack on freedom of expression protected by the Constitution, to annul this unfair dismissal and to immediately reinstate Dr.. Tom Alter in his teaching position.
We demand that President Damphousse put an end to this blatant attack on freedom of expression protected by the Constitution, to annul this unfair dismissal and to immediately reinstate Dr.. Tom Alter in his teaching position.
The dismissal of Dr.. Alter is a serious attack that endangers your livelihood, your professional and academic career, and sets a very dangerous precedent. President Damphousse's actions appear to be in line with the far-right politics of Texas politicians Greg Abbot and Ted Cruz, in addition to coinciding with Donald Trump's policy, who has used the presidential office to attack his political opponents.
Damphousse's actions align with the forces of Trump and the extreme right that seek to impose an authoritarian regime to silence all criticism, crush all political dissent and attack anyone they perceive as opposed to their project. And what presents an even greater threat, Damphousse's actions reinforce the power and influence of fascists and allow the most violent and reactionary groups to also attack and act against anyone they consider part of the left..
It is Trump who inflicts violence against millions of people through his authoritarian political attacks directed against people of color, women, trans people, migrants and refugees, people with disabilities, the poor and homeless sectors, and the working class as a whole. It is the far right and fascists who are building movements to harm innocent and vulnerable people. It is this capitalist system that Alter spoke against that inflicts mass violence condemning billions to hunger, poverty and war while a handful accumulate increasing obscene amounts of wealth that are stolen from the rest of us.
Alter is being attacked because he is telling a truth that many in America today believe: that capitalism is ruining their lives and that socialism is a better system. And he Dr. Tom Alter can be fired for expressing his personal beliefs and principles, so people all over the world are in danger. If someone can be fired for expressing their point of view at a conference, outside of your job and in your private and daily life, so none of us are safe.
Your case must have the support of all sectors of society: workers, teachers, nurses, students… anyone who defends the value of freedom of expression. As the great anti-slavery abolitionist Frederick Douglass once said: "The law on the side of liberty is of great advantage only when there is power to enforce that law.".
We make a global call to unite to build the broadest solidarity campaign to win this decisive battle.
We make a global call to unite to build the broadest solidarity campaign to win this decisive battle.
The attacks against Dr. Tom Alter and socialist politics won't intimidate Socialist Horizon. We will defend our partner and continue fighting for the cause for which he is being attacked: Justice, freedom and equality. We will also continue to build the organization that is needed to win it.
ElDr. Tom Alter is not only a beloved member of the teaching staff at Texas State University, but also advisor to several student organizations. He is the author of a famous history of socialism in the Southern United States., Toward a Cooperative Commonwealth: The Transplanted Roots of Farmer-Labor Radicalism in Texas (University of Illinois Press). He is also the father of two children. Socialist Horizon demands that Texas State University immediately restore Tom Alter to his position as Associate Professor of History.
Socialist Horizon also calls on all organizations and personalities who defend the basic democratic right to freedom of expression and reject fascism and authoritarianism, and in particular to all socialists, to join this fight. This is an attack on all of us. We have to confront it with the broadest unitary campaign for the immediate reinstatement of Alter, in defense of freedom of expression and against fascism.
This is an attack on all of us. We have to confront it with the broadest unitary campaign for the immediate reinstatement of Alter, in defense of freedom of expression and against fascism.
What you can do to add your support:
Sign this petition demanding Alter's job back: https://www.change.org/p/texas-state-university-give-tom-alter-his-job-back
Contribute a donation to help Alter and his family with their living and legal expenses: https: //gofund.me/27c72f26d
Write and call the President and Provost of Texas State University demanding that Alter be given back his job:
Presidente Kelly Damphousse: president@txstate.edu
Office of the President: 512-245-2121
Provost Pranesh Aswath: xrk25@txstate.edu
Provost's Office Telephone: 512-245-2205
