Alberto Gonzales and the Texas Tech Faculty Posse
July 29, 2009
Two years after he was forced to resign as Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales is scheduled to teach undergraduates at Texas Tech, something he has never done before, and the university’s real professors are not happy about it. Over 40 Texas Tech faculty members (47 at last report) have signed a petition objecting to the teaching appointment of Mr. Gonzales.
The hiring was done by University Chancellor Kent Hance, who is an administrative officer, not in a position to hire faculty. Mr. Hance was in a position to pressure the Poli Sci dean into agreeing to this academic hire, though, so Mr. Gonzales is scheduled to teach “Contemporary Issues in The Executive Branch” while he himself remains a real issue for the current administration.
Investigations into questionable torture practices under President Bush always seem to have involved actions by Mr. Gonzales as White House Counsel or Attorney General, and there are calls for his prosecution. Texas lawyers have prepared a grievance against him, first step in disbarment.