US academic sues Texas university after being put on leave over pro-Palestinian sentiment

An assistant professor in the US state of Texas who was put on administrative leave following a pro-Palestinian speech has sued the university, NBC News reported on Thursday.

Idris Robinson, assistant professor of philosophy at Texas State University, accused the school officials of violating his free speech and retaliating against him, according to the lawsuit. He is requesting a federal court to prevent the school from ending his contract.

"After years of outstanding reviews and steady progress towards tenure, Professor Robinson was abruptly placed on administrative leave on June 6, 2025 — just one day after online activists demanded his termination in connection with a speech he gave as a private citizen on a matter of public concern in the Summer of 2024," the lawsuit said.

A university spokesperson told NBC News that it cannot comment on pending litigation.

The lawsuit mentioned that the tensions between Robinson and university officials began following his speech in June 2024 that covered Israel's military aggression in Gaza starting in October 2023.

During the talk, a fight broke out between four audience members and three pro-Israel activists. But Robinson himself was never identified as a witness or suspect in the 44-page police report of the incident.

Robinson said that shortly after the incident, he faced online harassment and calls directed at the university for his termination.

For years, academics and commentators in the US have complained of being targeted when they criticize Israel and its policies. They are often wrongly accused of being antisemitic when in fact they take a stand against Zionism or Israel's genocidal, aggressive policies towards Palestinians and its neighbors-stances also taken by many Israelis and Jews.