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VICTORY: Lawsuit ends with Collin College professor reinstated after being fired for union advocacy, supporting removal of Confederate monuments

Justice for professor also includes a six-figure teaching contract at the college that fired her
Suzanne Jones

JX Studio

Suzanne Jones was fired by Collin College last year for her protected speech.

McKINNEY, Texas, Nov. 3, 2022 鈥 Two down, one to go in a trio of lawsuits against the Texas college that just can鈥檛 resist firing professors for exercising their First Amendment rights.

Today, administrators at Collin College agreed to a settlement that includes reinstating education professor Suzanne Jones, fired by the institution last year for her protected speech. The FIRErepresented Jones in her lawsuit.

鈥淭his is a huge victory 鈥 not only for Suzanne, but for every single professor around the country who hesitates to speak up because an administrator wants to silence them,鈥 said FIREattorney Greg H. Greubel. 鈥淐ensorship is un-American. FIREis proud to defend people of all political views who are punished simply for speaking their minds. And we're not stopping now.鈥

As part of the settlement, the college agreed to a two-year, $230,000 teaching contract with Jones and to pay $145,000 in attorneys鈥 fees. 

鈥淚 am happy to be back at Collin College and I am thankful to FIREfor helping me,鈥 said Jones, who worked at the college for two decades before she was fired for her protected speech.

Under President H. Neil Matkin, Collin College 鈥 the epicenter of censorship in Texas 鈥 fired Jones on 鈥嬧婮an. 28, 2021. The college cited three incidents that led to her firing:

  • In 2017, Jones signed her name and college affiliation on a published open letter supporting the removal of Confederate monuments in Dallas.
  • In 2020, Jones used the name of Collin College on a website associated with the Texas Faculty Association, a statewide faculty union Jones helped organize at Collin College. 
  • Jones, who sat on the Collin College Faculty Council, publicly supported the council鈥檚 proposed plan regarding campus reopening amidst the pandemic. 

Despite calling Jones an 鈥溾 with positive reviews and extensive service to the college, Collin College Vice President Toni Jenkins joined Matkin to authorize the non-renewal of Jones鈥 teaching contract 鈥 against the recommendations of her associate dean, dean, and provost.

Public institutions like Collin College are bound by the First Amendment. When public colleges retaliate against professors for exercising their freedom of speech and association, they run headlong into the Bill of Rights. 

COURTESY PHOTOS FOR MEDIA USE

In September 2021, Jones sued Collin College and the administrators responsible for her termination. FIREbegan representing Jones on Feb. 14, 2022. In August, the court denied a motion for summary judgment based on qualified immunity and ruled that Collin College administrators could be held personally and financially responsible for their actions. The court called the defendants鈥 argument 鈥渄ead on arrival鈥 and said their actions were 鈥渃learly unconstitutional.鈥 

FIRE filed two other lawsuits against Collin College.

  • In January, history professor Lora Burnett prevailed in her own First Amendment lawsuit against the school after she was fired for criticizing public officials and the Collin College administration. Under the court judgment, Collin College agreed to pay more than $70,000 in damages plus attorneys鈥 fees. 
  • Less than two months later, history professor Michael Phillips sued the college, Matkin, and other university officials for violating his constitutional rights by firing him for talking about history and criticizing the college鈥檚 COVID-19 policies. In September, the court denied the College鈥檚 motion to dismiss, allowing Phillips to proceed with his claim alleging the College imposed an unconstitutional prior restraint on his speech.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 fire professors simply for exercising their First Amendment rights,鈥 said FIREattorney Josh Bleisch. 鈥淗ow much more taxpayer money is President Matkin going to throw away before he gets the message? Lawsuits are our last resort when colleges prove unwilling to respect faculty and the First Amendment. But we won鈥檛 stop until Matkin ends his regime of silence.鈥

The FIRE() is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought 鈥 the most essential qualities of liberty. FIRErecognizes that colleges and universities play a vital role in preserving free thought within a free society. To this end, we place a special emphasis on defending the individual rights of students and faculty members on our nation鈥檚 campuses, including freedom of speech, freedom of association, due process, legal equality, religious liberty, and sanctity of conscience.

CONTACT:

Katie Kortepeter, Communications Campaign Manager, 果冻传媒app官方: 215-717-3473; media@thefire.org

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