The president of Texas A&M has resigned after failing to hire a former New York Times editor to head the journalism department, which led to her turning down a watered-down deal and complaining that she had been the victim of “anti-woke hysteria.”
Katherine Banks became the school’s president in 2021 and immediately began restructuring its many departments.
She was widely criticized for getting rid of tenured library staff, but most for her handling of the hiring of Dr. Kathleen McElroy, a veteran journalist and former editor of the New York Times.
Banks originally offered McElroy, who has 20 years of newsroom experience and a PhD, a permanent contract to head A&M’s journalism school.
Katherine Banks became the school’s president in 2021 and immediately began restructuring its many departments. She resigned today over the botched hiring of Kathleen McElroy
dr Kathleen McElroy was hired to head A&M’s journalism department. She worked for the New York Times for 20 years and then earned her PhD. There were complaints that her experience at the Times and her work on diversity would inevitably lead to leftist bias at school, and her deal was watered down. She believes she is judged by her race
Her appointment was announced to great fanfare in June. She spoke proudly of accepting the role at her alma matter.
But opposition soon came from some conservative groups, who expressed concerns that their past at the Times would inevitably bring a left-leaning person into the class.
McElroy was offered a five-year contract and then a one-year contract, which she declined.
“He said, ‘You’re a black woman who was at the New York Times, and for those people, it’s like working for Pravda,'” McElroy said of the conversation she had with Dean José Luis Bermúdez.
Pravda is the newspaper of the Russian Communist Party, which was founded in the early 20th century.
“I feel damaged by this whole process.” I’m being judged by race, maybe gender.
The school announced Banks’ resignation today and said in a press release there was evidence McElroy was the victim of “anti-wake hysteria.”
“And I don’t think other people would face the same hurdles or challenges,” she said of the botched hiring process in an interview with The Texas Tribune.
The school announced Banks’ resignation today and said in a press release there was evidence McElroy was the victim of “anti-wake hysteria.”
“In June, the university announced the hiring of McElroy to revitalize the school’s journalism program, but that fell through when the details of the job offer changed from a position with the possibility of tenure to a one-year tenure as a professor of practice with an option to extend.”
“At Wednesday’s faculty Senate meeting, President Banks denied knowledge of the job posting changes but claimed responsibility for a flawed hiring process after a wave of nationwide publicity suggested that McElroy, who has conducted research on diversity and inclusion, was the victim of “anti-woke” hysteria and outside interference in the faculty hiring process,” the release said.
Banks took the blame for the “embarrassing” debacle in a phone call with the school’s faculty board this week.
“I have to say it’s been a tough week for Texas A&M. I am saddened by the negative attention we have received.
“It was detrimental to our common goals and vision,” she said.
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