Dallas, TX

Higher ed needs more viewpoint diversity

Published

1 year ago

December 27, 2024

Higher ed needs more viewpoint diversity

What’s the point of going to college? Building skills and networking for a future career are a big part of it, but exploring new ideas is a key piece too. That’s why it’s so important for college administrators to foster a diversity of viewpoints among faculty.

But a recent study from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression shows there are many professors who are self-censoring — especially among moderates and conservatives. It’s a disservice to students when professors aren’t free to discuss and explore diverse viewpoints.

The survey showed 27% of more than 6,200 college professors “feel unable to speak freely for fear of how students, administrators, or other faculty would respond,” according to the study. Researchers found that 35% say they have “recently toned down their writing for fear of controversy.”

Professors should avoid tipping their hand about political views in the classroom. Simply pushing one’s beliefs onto impressionable young people isn’t a good teaching method. A professor’s job is to foster conversation, welcome new perspectives and challenge those perspectives using the knowledge they’ve amassed.

But when it comes to hiring decisions and conversations in the faculty lounge, administrators need to foster a culture that welcomes open discussion of controversial ideas.

Those who responded to the survey indicated that the three most difficult issues to discuss on campus are the Israel-Hamas war, racial inequality and transgender rights, according to the study. The presidential election ranked at fifth place and abortion at sixth.

Those are some of the most divisive issues of our time. They can be hard to talk about. But all that means is that searching for middle ground and mutual understanding is all the more important. Just because we disagree with someone doesn’t mean we can’t have a civil, honest conversation.

It’s a badly kept secret that much of higher education is dominated by progressive points of view. The survey indicated 52% of conservatives and 43% of moderates said they worry about damaging their reputation because of someone misunderstanding them, compared to 35% of liberals.

More concerning is that only 20% of faculty reported that a conservative individual would be a positive fit for their department, compared to 71% who say a liberal would be a positive fit.

While conservatives face the brunt of the impact, that’s not the whole story, the study says. Sometimes, broaching topics like racism and diversity, equity and inclusion can be hard in conservative states that have tried to tamp down those discussions.

We all need to learn how to discuss complex and touchy topics in a civil manner. Colleges and universities can be a much better setting for that than they currently are. Our nation and our students deserve better.

We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com

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Dallas, TX

Woman found dead after house fire in Far East Dallas, officials say

Published

12 hours ago

February 2, 2026

Press Room

Woman found dead after house fire in Far East Dallas, officials say

A woman was found dead after firefighters responded to an apartment fire Sunday in Far East Dallas, Dallas Fire-Rescue said in a statement.

Firefighters responded to a fire alarm call around 6:41 p.m. at an apartment complex located at 2359 Highland Road.

First responders forced their way into a first-floor apartment, where the alarm could be heard, after knocking and not getting an answer.

Once there, they found an unidentified woman inside and pulled her out of the apartment. She was pronounced dead at the scene, the statement said.

The fire was extinguished around 7:26 p.m.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation. No further details were immediately available.

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Dallas, TX

Dallas Police Use License Plate Reader To Bust Stolen Mercedes, Mail Theft Suspect

Published

24 hours ago

February 1, 2026

Press Room

Dallas Police Use License Plate Reader To Bust Stolen Mercedes, Mail Theft Suspect

Items recovered by Dallas police during a vehicle search, including altered keys and tools tied to suspected mail theft activity | Image courtesy of Dallas Police Department

Officers with the Northeast Crime Response Team arrested a suspect connected to a stolen vehicle and uncovered evidence of additional criminal activity following a proactive response in Northeast Dallas last week.

According to police, officers responded January 29 to a FLOCK license plate reader alert identifying a stolen Mercedes GLE that had been reported stolen from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Officers located the vehicle near the intersection of Audelia Road and Walnut Street.

Police said the suspect, identified as Loi Lien, 35, was found asleep inside the vehicle and taken into custody without incident.

During an inventory search of the vehicle, officers located property belonging to Lien. A subsequent search of that property revealed evidence connected to additional criminal activity involving mail theft.

Authorities said the evidence gathered by Northeast Crime Response Team officers was turned over to U.S. Postal Inspectors and directly assisted an ongoing federal investigation.

Police credited the officers’ detailed work with helping support another agency’s case and demonstrating effective interagency cooperation.

Lien was transported to the Dallas County Jail and charged with the following offenses:

Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle
Possession of Identifiers
Unlawful Use of a Criminal Instrument
Possession of a Controlled Substance, Penalty Group 1, under 1 gram
Theft warrant from Collin County

The investigation remains ongoing.

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Dallas, TX

3 Overreactions as Cooper Flagg Shines Once Again, But Mavericks Fall to Rockets

Published

1 day ago

February 1, 2026

Press Room

3 Overreactions as Cooper Flagg Shines Once Again, But Mavericks Fall to Rockets

The Dallas Mavericks entered Saturday night riding a three-game losing streak, and they were facing their in-state rival, the Houston Rockets, for the final time this season already. Houston has been one of the better teams in the West despite injuries and a strange lineup.

The first quarter was mostly back and forth, as most NBA games are, seeing 7 lead changes and three ties. But it also started extremely ugly. Brandon Williams was eventually electric off the bench for the Mavs, scoring 13 points in the first quarter, but he’d get hurt in the second quarter before being ruled out for the game.

Houston started to take control in the second quarter, but especially Jabari Smith Jr. Daniel Gafford had a big quarter for the Mavs, which was a good sign to see given how iffy this season has been for him. Maybe that’ll convince a team to trade a first-round pick for him at the deadline this year.

The Rockets led 59-51 at halftime, and it looked like they were going to run away with the game in the third quarter, pushing the lead to as large as 13 a few times. But as the Mavericks have done all year, they refused to die. After the second time that the Rockets went up by 13, the Mavericks outscored Houston 13-5 with some impressive buckets from Cooper Flagg, helping to shrink the gap to just 5 at the end of the quarter.

Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard tried to put the game away, immediately pushing the lead up to 11, but Klay Thompson and Cooper Flagg had answers for that. The Mavericks refused to die, getting the lead down to 2 with a dunk from Daniel Gafford in the final three minutes.

Naji Marshall tied the game with a layup with about 47 seconds to go, which helped complete a wild comeback. However, Alperen Sengun retook the lead on the next sequence, Cooper Flagg missed a tough layup, and Tari Eason got free for a dunk to put the game away. Houston would go on to win 111-107.

Here are three overreactions from this loss.

READ MORE: Knicks Preparing Underwhelming Trade Package for Coveted Dallas Mavericks Wing

1. Trade Every Veteran in Cooper Flagg’s Way

Jan 31, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Cooper Flagg was already a really good rookie. And he’s somehow only getting better. He followed up his incredible 49-point performance last game with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists on 13/25 shooting. He nearly tripled Kevin Durant’s scoring output. At this point, just let him take every single shot so he can continue putting up historic numbers. If someone wants Naji Marshall? Talk them into a first-round pick for him. Anybody want Anthony Davis? Please, take him. Trade any veteran who is not letting Flagg shine the way he should be.

2. Basketball Gods Should Rewards Ethically Tanking Again

Jan 28, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd reacts against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Mavericks are now 11 games under .500 with 33 games remaining. It’s not worth trying to fight into the Play-In Tournament, but they’re still in nearly every game. They fight as hard as any team, and hopefully, that lands them another top pick in the draft lottery. Mavericks fans maybe shouldn’t be asking for too much after already getting lucky once with Cooper Flagg, but considering how screwed over they were by Nico Harrison, another top pick wouldn’t be so bad.

3. There Will Be Conversations About P.J. Washington This Offseason

Jan 31, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) warms up before the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

P.J. Washington is a good basketball player. He does not fit this roster. Granted, a lot of this roster doesn’t fit together, but he just doesn’t fit alongside Cooper Flagg. Too many of their skillsets overlap, and Flagg is better at nearly all of them and will only get better. Washington can’t be traded until the offseason because of when he signed his contract, but there will be conversations this offseason.

READ MORE: Why Mavericks’ Biggest Trade Deadline Need Might Not Be What Fans Expect

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