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ACLU Texas, students send letters to UT in response to disciplinary notices for protesters

Published

6 days ago

June 21, 2024

ACLU Texas, students send letters to UT in response to disciplinary notices for protesters

The ACLU of Texas has sent a letter to University of Texas President Jay Hartzell expressing its fear that the university “may be squelching the First Amendment rights of its students” and chilling protected expression by investigating the conduct of some students who were arrested at pro-Palestinian protests April 24 and 29 on campus.

UT first initiated disciplinary proceedings June 7 for alleged rule violations by some student protesters, the American-Statesman previously reported. The letters included copies of arrest affidavits, pictures from the protests and Instagram posts about the demonstrations.

As part of the university’s letter, students were asked to prepare a written statement in response to 12 questions about their conduct that the American Civil Liberties Union said “presupposes that students receiving these notices violated University policy and ignores that the First Amendment protects peaceful protest.”

The ACLU also pointed to its concern about UT citing the probable cause affidavits as evidence, alleging that it violates students’ due process, as charges against all the protesters who were arrested April 24 were dismissed, and individuals “cannot be held responsible for the actions of a group simply because they participated in free speech activity.” It alleges that students are being punished indiscriminately for their involvement in the protests instead of any individual violations.

UT spokesperson Mike Rosen said in a June 14 email in regard to a second round of disciplinary notices the university issued that students were not being disciplined for protesting, but for violating university rules.

“UT Austin supports the rights of all members of our community to demonstrate and express their views while on our campus as long as they comply with our Institutional Rules,” he wrote.

Savannah Kumar, staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas, said the organization sent UT the letter out of fear that the university’s investigations would violate the protesters’ rights and chill free speech.

“When participating in protest is placed under such scrutiny and when students are put through these investigations, it suffocates the breathing room for our constitutional rights and can also erode the core tenets of the university too,” Kumar said. “That’s why we were concerned about what we’re seeing.”

Students reject accusations of rule violations

Police arrested a total of 136 people at the two protests, including 60 students. Many have criticized the police response as excessive and escalatory, but Hartzell, Gov. Greg Abbott and UT System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife praised the significant police action as necessary and effective in keeping the campus safe.

The UT protests were held in solidarity with other demonstrations across the nation that called on universities to divest from weapons manufacturers contributing to Israel’s war against Hamas, which has reportedly resulted in more than 34,000 deaths in Gaza. Israel began bombarding Gaza after Hamas, the region’s militant governing body, attacked the Jewish state on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people.

The ACLU’s letter follows a collective letter that UT students sent to the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity in response to the disciplinary notices, which alleged that students failed to comply with university rules and engaged in disruptive conduct. The students in their nine-page letter deny the university’s accusations and express fear that the process will be biased against them.

“We object to the accusation that our engagement in protected free speech activity is ‘disruptive’ to the university’s function,” the students’ letter said. “Indeed, we resolutely affirm the opposite: by exercising our basic rights to speech and peaceable assembly, we were, in fact, directly carrying out a daily function of the University.”

The collective letter cites past statements from the university and Hartzell supporting free speech, and it asks for all students to receive a no findings letter instead of an administrative disposition.

“We ask that you consider this and treat us with the compassion and understanding we deserve as students, Longhorns, and members of a democratic society,” the students’ letter said.

Sam Law, a UT graduate student who was arrested April 29 and received a disciplinary letter, said 23 students are planning to submit the letter to the university. He said people are also submitting character references and letters of support.

“The university hasn’t told us what the possible disciplinary consequences are, but a lot of us are deeply afraid that it could be suspensions or expulsions,” Law said, adding that that’s why many people decided to respond despite legal concerns with addressing allegations. “That is a much more severe consequence than a legal consequence.”

The students also mention concern over the process bypassing a typically scheduled in-person meeting in favor of written statements, which they worry will further reduce their right to due process. Rosen said previously in his June 14 email that the process ensures all students have due process.

Two teaching assistants who were removed from their position last fall for sending a pro-Palestinian message to their class did not have the opportunity for an in-person hearing because of a last-minute policy change by Hartzell to make the process more efficient. Their grievances for their job reassignments were eventually denied.

‘We enforce our institutional rules’

Rosen said the university cannot comment on individual cases, but on June 14 an undisclosed number of disciplinary notices were sent out to student protesters for alleged rules violations.

“The University has made clear that we enforce our institutional rules, and the conduct notices sent to students who violated our rules during protests on April 24 and 29 reflect that commitment,” the university’s statement said.

Kumar, however, said the university’s rules still need to leave “breathing space for the Constitution.”

“The university can’t just be invoking these rules and saying that if students broke these rules that’s enough to punish them if that application of those rules is squelching the right to engage in free speech activities, which is not something that students leave behind just because they decide to enroll,” Kumar said.

Rosen did not respond to the Statesman’s specific questions about UT’s response to the ACLU’s and students’ letters.

Law said protesters believe they are not guilty of the university’s accusations and are grateful for the ACLU’s support.

“I hope that the university takes it seriously and lives up to the principles that it purports to defend,” Law said.

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Texas Football Ranked Among the Top Offenses in the New EA CFB 25 Game

Published

2 hours ago

June 27, 2024

Press Room

Texas Football Ranked Among the Top Offenses in the New EA CFB 25 Game

As a part of its rankings week showcase, EA has released its top offenses for the new EA CFB 25 game, with the Texas Longhorns tying for the third-highest-rated squad in this year’s game.

Texas was given a 91-rated offense, tying with Alabama for the third spot. The two teams ahead of the Longhorns and Crimson Tide are Georgia and Oregon, who share the top spot with a 94 overall rating.

Texas looks to feature one of the best offenses in real life in 2024, which will lead to exciting gameplay for the first college football game in over a decade. Just two returning Power Five quarterbacks had more passing yards in 2024 than Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, and he’ll have the privilege of throwing to the transfer portal’s top receiver Isaiah Bond in the upcoming year.

The offensive line is also one of the best in the nation, ranking inside the top five of rankings from sites like On3, PFF, and 247. Behind that line will be runningbacks CJ Baxter and Jaydon Blue, who combined for 1,057 rushing yards on over five yards per carry in 2023. The Texas offense is filled from top to bottom with playmakers, likely making them one of the deepest offenses to play within the game.

At the quarterback position, Ewers will likely be one of the three highest-rated passers, especially given his status as the cover athlete, and is backed up by Arch Manning, who sadly won’t be in the game due to him opting out. Whether they replace him with an auto-generated player or just leave him out, freshman Trey Owens will be a fine backup in the game.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian greets quarterback Quinn Ewers who threw passes to receivers at Texas Longhorns Football Pro Day at Frank Denius Fields Wednesday March 20, 2024. / Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA

The running back room not only features Baxter, the No. 1 rusher in the class of 2023, and Blue, but also Tre Wisner, who averaged six yards per carry last year, and the No. 3 running back in the class of 2024, Jerrick Gibson. Baxter will be the highest rated of the group, but the other three rushers will likely be pushing above 95 speed, making them perfect for a simulation football game.

In the receiving core, Bond is joined by two other transfer receivers Matthew Golden and Silas Bolden. Both pass-catchers were rated as four-star or higher transfers, and tight end Amari Niblack was the top tight end transfer in the country. Returning for the Longhorns are sophomore stud wide receivers Johntay Cook, DeAndre Moore, and Ryan Niblett, while five-star freshman Ryan Wingo will bring verticality to the team.

This offense will not only be one of the highest rated but also the most fun teams in the game. With the bountiful playbook of head coach Steve Sarkisian and his love for players with speed, it’ll be hard to slow down an offense like this.

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Texas lt. gov. warns of Biden's border inaction after Jocelyn Nungaray's murder: 'It can happen to you'

Published

8 hours ago

June 27, 2024

Press Room

Texas lt. gov. warns of Biden's border inaction after Jocelyn Nungaray's murder: 'It can happen to you'

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick warned of the deadly consequences of the border crisis, calling out President Biden for failing to “seal the border with Mexico right now” following the brutal murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray.

“If Joe Biden had any compassion at all for this family or the families of Laken Riley or Rachel Morin and others who have been killed… he would secure the border on Thursday, the day of [Nungaray’s] funeral,” Patrick told “America’s Newsroom,” Wednesday.

“This little girl, she was tortured, she was strangled, and she was thrown in the river like a rag doll,” he continued. “Now I want America to wake up. This can come to your wife, your daughter, your sister, your grandmother. It can happen to you. There are animals roaming this country today because of Joe Biden, and these three women I just named would all be alive today – today – if it weren’t for Joe Biden. The blood is on his hands.”

MIGRANT ARRESTED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT RAPE OF 13-YEAR-OLD IN NEW YORK PARK

Video image of Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, and image of Jocelyn Nungaray (Houston Police Department; Fox Houston Courtesy of the Nungaray family)

Prosecutors said Tuesday that two illegal immigrants from Venezuela allegedly lured the Houston girl under a bridge where they sexually assaulted her before tying her up and killing her.

Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, have each been charged with capital murder.

“While we’re there, looking at the casket and praying for this family, [Biden] will be letting more animals like the two that allegedly killed her into this country,” Patrick remarked.

The Texas Republican urged former President Trump to confront Biden at Thursday night’s CNN Presidential Debate on the result of his border policies.

“I would ask President Biden, ‘can you tell me who Rachel Morin is? Can you tell me who Jocelyn is? Can you tell me who Laken Riley is?’ And Joe Biden has a choice. He could either say, ‘Yes, there are three people who should be alive today except for my border policies,’ or, ’I don’t know who they are,’” he said.

Jocelyn’s mother, Alexis Nungaray, tearfully told “Hannity” on Tuesday that “we have to stop burying our kids.”

“This isn’t right. We have to have more reinforcement when it comes to letting people in. This is not okay,” she said.

Pena Ramos illegally crossed into El Paso, Texas, in May, sources with the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Fox News. He was caught by Border Patrol agents and was released into the U.S. with a Notice to Appear in court.

Rangel Martinez also crossed illegally into El Paso in March and was caught by Border Patrol. He was released into the U.S. on an unknown basis.

Pena Ramos was wearing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) ankle bracelet at the time of the crime – a detail highlighted by Jocelyn’s grandfather, Kelvin Alvarenga, during the “Hannity” interview.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told Fox News in a statement Friday that he “illegally entered the U.S. without inspection, parole or admission by a U.S. immigration officer on an unknown date and at an unknown location.”

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg described the city of Houston as a “huge international hub” that draws in people from all over the country.

“Unfortunately, we see a great deal of violence committed by illegal immigrants, and we see as many victimized by other illegals and regular people here. It’s an enormous problem. This was bound to happen,” Ogg told Fox News on Tuesday. “It’s one of those things that, as an elected prosecutor, you are just waiting for [the] other shoe to drop. I’m just sick and sickened this little girl was the innocent victim of these two monsters.”

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Fox News’ Louis Casiano, Bill Melugin, Griff Jenkins, Yael Halon and Greg Norman contributed to this report.

Elizabeth Heckman is a digital production assistant with Fox News.

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Texas A&M hit with transfer portal exodus after Jim Schlossnagle’s exit

Published

16 hours ago

June 26, 2024

Press Room

Texas A&M hit with transfer portal exodus after Jim Schlossnagle’s exit

The ripple effect of Jim Schlossnagle’s shocking departure from College Station to Austin is just beginning.

One day after Schlossnagle accepted an offer to become the next head coach at Texas and two days after Texas A&M lost the College World Series final, 11 Texas A&M players have entered the transfer portal, according to The Athletic’s Max Olson. Six of those players were starters for the Aggies in the College World Series against Tennessee.

Here’s the current list of Texas A&M players in the portal (bolded names started in Monday’s CWS finale):

Jace LaViolette
Gavin Grahovac
Kaeden Kent
Jack Bell
Max Kaufer
Hayden Schott
Caden Sorrell
Jett Johnston
Ali Camarillo
Justin Vossos
Carl Schmidt

According to the NCAA’s transfer rules, players are given a 30-day transfer window when a head coach leaves.

LaViolette was an All-American, is widely considered the top prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft, and hit 29 home runs for the Aggies this season. Grahovac was just named the SEC’s Freshman of the Year after posting a 1.051 OPS with 19 homers. Schott posted a .916 OPS while Camarillo was the Aggies’ starting shortstop.

This is quite the turn for LaViolette. When the news of Schlossnagle’s departure came out, LaViolette posted the following on Twitter/X:

“Thank you @12thMan from the bottom of my heart for everything y’all did for us throughout the year, if you’re in the portal your missing out if you don’t want to be apart of the best university in the nation. this is where people come to be great! Let’s go get it done next year!”

Kent became one of the stars of the College World Series when he stepped up in Braden Montgomery’s absence. The son of former major leaguer Jeff Kent was selected to the CWS All-Tournament.

It remains to be seen if these players are following Schlossnagle to the Longhorns.