July 21 (UPI) — Texas A&M University President M. Katherine Banks resigned late Thursday evening following accusations that the hiring of a Black editor for its journalism department was mishandled.
Her resignation letter to Chancellor John Sharp directly references the problems the school had in the hiring of former New York Times editor Dr. Kathleen McElroy to revive the school’s journalism department.
“The recent challenges regarding Dr. McElroy have made it clear to me that I must retire immediately,” Banks wrote. “The negative press is a distraction from the wonderful work being done here.”
The immediately effective resignation ends a difficult, conflict-filled two-year tenure for Banks.
Banks will be replaced by Mark A. Welsh III, dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service, who will be acting president until the Board of Regents acts to replace Banks.
McElroy, who directed the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism, at first accepted a tenured position at A&M, but when the university reduced her contract to a non-tenured position, she rejected the offer.
According to the Houston Chronicle, McElroy said her hiring failed over conservative “hysteria” from “outside” influences objecting to her research on diversity, equity and inclusion in newsrooms.
She said A&M’s final offer letter said to her that they didn’t really want her in the position.
“This offer letter … really makes it clear that they don’t want me there,” McElroy said about the one-year contract. “But in no shape, form or fashion would I give up a tenured position at UT for a one-year contract that emphasizes that you can be let go at any point.”
Texas A&M’s faculty on Wednesday passed a resolution to set up a committee to investigate the handling of McElroy’s hiring.
Texas A&M faculty Senate Speaker Tracy Hammond said in a letter to Banks and to Chancellor Sharp that the faculty “”decries the appearance of outside influence in the hiring and promotion of faculty.”
The Rudder Association, a Texas conservative group that says on its website that it seeks to protect and perpetuate the traditionalist Texas Aggie culture, responded to Hammond’s concerns.
“TRA holds Dr. Hammond, the faculty senate, and the faculty’s scholarship, research, and teaching in high regard. But it respectfully disagrees with the characterization of taxpayers, tuition payers, and donors as ‘outside influence,'” the group said in a statement. “These groups are integral to the Aggie family, whose contributions make the university’s excellence possible.”
