Texas A&M University president M. Katherine Banks resigned Thursday amid controversy over the school’s failed attempt to hire a new professor to lead its journalism program.
Banks’ decision came after the Faculty Senate announced its own plans to investigate why the school announced the hiring of journalist and professor Kathleen McElroy, only to change the terms of her proposed employment dramatically.
“The recent challenges regarding Dr. McElroy have made it clear to me that I must retire immediately,” Banks said in a letter to the Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. “The negative press is a distraction from the wonderful work being done here.”
The university announced its decision to hire McElroy with great fanfare last month. A news release from the school said McElroy – who has been teaching at the University of Texas at Austin following a reporting career that included 20 years at the New York Times – said, “A priority for McElroy is to build a curriculum that incorporates innovative ways to deliver news to underserved audiences across Texas and beyond.”
But McElroy told the Texas Tribune earlier this month her offer of a tenured position quickly fell apart after she was told there was a backlash to her hiring because of her work on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
“I’m being judged by race, maybe gender,” McElroy – who is Black – said in an interview with the Tribune.
Next year, a state law goes into effect in Texas banning diversity, equity and inclusion offices in public universities, including Texas A&M, CNN previously reported.
McElroy told the Tribune she agreed to a new offer of a five-year, nontenured position, only to see the school revise it again to a one-year contract, which could be rescinded at any time.
The head of the school’s Department of Communication and Journalism acknowledged the change to the employment offer, saying it happened without his consent.
“I was shocked to learn an earlier draft of a job offer letter for Dr. McElroy was altered and sent to her without my advance knowledge,” Hart Blanton said in a written statement released through his personal attorney. He called for “a full and independent investigation.”
In a statement to CNN Saturday, Texas A&M officials said they were launching an investigation into the failed hire.
“University and System officials have read, heard and understood the concerns of our Aggie community stemming from the attempt to hire Dr. Kathleen McElroy to lead the university’s journalism program,” Laylan Copelin, Vice Chancellor, Marketing and Communication, The Texas A&M University System said.
“We are determined to get to the bottom of what happened and why, learn from the mistakes and do better in the future,” the statement continued.
The school’s Faculty Senate on Wednesday also passed a resolution announcing, “a fact-finding committee into the mishandling of the hiring,” according to the Friday statement announcing Banks’ departure.
McElroy, who now intends to remain a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, declined an interview request from CNN Saturday, but provided her own written statement, saying, “I’m deeply grateful for the groundswell of support I’ve received, especially from Aggies of all majors, and my former and current students.
“There’s much more I could say and will say about what has unfolded,” McElroy added in her message to CNN. “But for now, I’ll reserve those statements for a future date.”
