Internal investigation reveals high ranking officials at Texas A&M were involved in UT journalism professor Kathleen McElroy’s failed hiring

Mason Rouser, Senior News Reporter

August 7, 2023

An internal investigation conducted by the Texas A&M University System Office of General Counsel reveals several high-ranking officials, including board regents and the campus president, were involved in the failed hiring of Kathleen McElroy as director of a revitalized journalism program.

Text messages and emails obtained in the investigation show that despite previous comments saying otherwise, former Texas A&M University president Katherine Banks and several board regents were having conversations about the possible hire of McElroy.

“They need to hear from all of us. … (Banks) told us multiple times the reason we were going to combine arts and sciences together was to control the liberal nature that those professors brought to campus,” said regent Jay Graham in a message obtained in the investigation. “We were going to start a journalism department to get high-quality conservative Aggie students into the journalism world to help direct our message. This won’t happen with this kind of hire!”

Messages from Banks show she was aware of the changes made to McElroy’s contract and that she was even sent versions of the contracts for the professor and director positions to look over. In a message, Banks said that McElroy “just has to decide” if she is willing to put up with backlash as alumni groups such as the Rudders Association and the Sul Ross group were planning to “make a big deal about it.”

McElory, professor and former UT Journalism director, was set to help rebuild the journalism program at her alma mater, Texas A&M, before contract changes and backlash regarding her previous employment at the New York Times and focus on improving diversity in newsrooms caused her to back away from the offer. These concerns were largely voiced by A&M constituents causing a stir amongst the A&M community, as first reported by the Texas Tribune.

After the news of McElroy’s failed hiring broke, Banks resigned from her position. “The recent challenges regarding Dr. McElroy (have) made it clear to me that I must retire immediately,” she wrote in a resignation letter. Banks took responsibility for what happened but said she did not approve any changes to McElroy’s job offer.

McElroy will receive a $1 million settlement from Texas A&M for the events that took place over the course of her failed hiring.