Speaking up about pandemic safety concerns, speaking out politically, or both, can get you canned at Collin College, say professors who鈥檝e suffered that fate.
So instructors who want to talk 鈥� and keep their jobs 鈥� have found a workaround when addressing trustees and college system president H. Neil Matkin at school board meetings.
鈥淭he statement that follows is not mine but was written by a Collin College faculty member who, due to a real fear of retaliation, requested that I speak their words,鈥� said John Lingenfelder, who spoke at a recent Collin College board meeting.
鈥淚鈥檓 here once again to read a statement from a faculty member who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of getting fired,鈥� Leslie Cunningham said. 鈥淎 lot of those, apparently.鈥�
These anonymous complaints mostly target Matkin, who took over six years ago after serving as executive vice president for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System.
Over the past year, several controversies have been swirling around the college system in Collin County, north of Dallas.
Some faculty say morale is low because of continued concerns regarding COVID-19 safety protocols. For a long time, the college didn鈥檛 post COVID case counts online. Matkin once wrote that the pandemic鈥檚 effects 鈥�have been blown utterly out of proportion.鈥� Meanwhile, over the summer, the college鈥檚 dean of nursing died from COVID-19 complications.
National organizations have berated the school, blaming Matkin for speech and academic freedom violations. Professors who鈥檝e been fired have
Matkin declined several requests to comment for this story.
A tweet leads to a dismissal
Tensions began to bubble more than a year ago, after some faculty, like longtime professor Audra Heaslip, wanted the college to consider online-only classes during COVID-19.
鈥淭he board of trustees made the decision for the college to go back face-to-face during the pandemic. I did not merely accept that but I questioned it,鈥� Heaslip said. 鈥淭hey told me that I put outside pressure on the college to go completely online, which is not accurate.鈥�
Heaslip was fired. She wasn鈥檛 the only one.
There鈥檚 history professor Lora Burnett, whose contract wasn鈥檛 renewed after she sent a negative tweet about then-Vice President Mike Pence.
Burnett's Twitter post led to complaints from State Rep. Jeff Leach, a Plano Republican, who tweeted that Burnett should go. asking if Burnett was paid with taxpayer dollars. Matkin responded, saying he would "deal with it."
Burnett said her free speech rights were violated. The school denied the accusation and said it doesn鈥檛 talk about personnel issues.
In October, Burnett sued the college.
The school fired another professor, Suzanne Jones, who taught at Collin College for 20 years. She told 四虎影院 it was because she questioned the college鈥檚 COVID health protocols. Jones, too, has sued the college.
鈥淎ny classes that could be put online should or that you could give teachers a choice,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淓ither way, it would lessen the number of students at the building. You could still have carpentry and automotive and things like that, meeting face-to-face. But let鈥檚 take out English and things like that which could be put online easily, if the faculty member wants to. Give me the freedom to make that decision in a pandemic.鈥�
Jones said she and Heaslip were also targeted because the two were members of a teachers鈥� non-bargaining union that administrators didn't like 鈥� the school鈥檚 chapter of the Texas Faculty Association.
All fired professors have been women.
Non-disclosure agreements
The high-profile firings grabbed the attention of investigative reporter Michael Vasquez. In for the Chronicle of Higher Education, he sought out former Collin College employees, and ran into problems. He learned many had signed nondisclosure agreements or NDAs. They鈥檙e rare for universities, but not Collin College, Vasquez said.
鈥淭here were a number of former employees who I talked to who mentioned, 'You know, sorry, I wish I could talk to you, wish I could dish dirt or whatever, but I signed an NDA and I can鈥檛,'鈥� Vasquez said. 鈥淪o I don鈥檛 have a firm grasp of how many, but I can tell you it鈥檚 not three, it鈥檚 not five, not seven. It seems like it鈥檚 considerably more.鈥�
Vasquez confirmed a story about the time Matkin put a bowl on his head, as if he were wearing a yarmulke. He was impersonating the college鈥檚 previous president, who鈥檚 Jewish.
Matkin told Vasquez he was "
Collin College history professor and writer Michael Phillips was shocked.
鈥淚 wonder how comfortable Jewish people feel at this institution where they think a symbol of their faith is a punchline?鈥� Phillips said.
Matkin, who鈥檚 not Jewish, told Vasquez , and would never do that again.
Support from board members
While he has his critics, Matkin has supporters.
Most college board members, including Vice Chair Jay Saad, have routinely lauded the president for enrollment growth during a tough pandemic year.
鈥淥ne of the nice things we鈥檝e seen is everybody鈥檚 commitment here today, and our enrollment continuing to grow, while other colleges are decreasing,鈥� Saad said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a great sign.鈥�
But trustee Stacy Donald says at times Matkin is arrogant and out of touch with student needs.
鈥淚 have texted, I have emailed about various things like asking to have our board meetings done remotely because I was under the care of an oncologist and didn't feel comfortable about going,鈥� Donald said. 鈥淚 get very curtly and summarily dismissed.鈥�
'An incredibly trying time'
Early on in the pandemic, Matkin dismissed faculty concerns over COVID-19, writing that the chance of dying in a motor vehicle accident in Texas was greater than dying from the coronavirus.
But after faculty and student deaths, plus the ongoing infection rate driven up by the delta variant, Matkin changed his tune a bit. He recorded a video greeting at the beginning of the fall semester.
鈥淲e鈥檙e living through an incredibly trying time,鈥� Matkin said. 鈥淥ne which has tested us in so many ways. One that has dealt significant losses to so many of us.鈥�
While Vasquez, the investigative reporter, acknowledged Matkin鈥檚 shift regarding COVID-19, it was a change barely noticeable.
鈥淗e acknowledged mistakes 鈥� to a point,鈥� Vasquez said. 鈥淎nd I think that鈥檚 a fair characterization of probably what we鈥檝e seen from not just Dr. Matkin but some board of trustee members.
鈥淚t鈥檚 mostly 鈥楬ey we could have done things better, but we鈥檙e still doing a good job.鈥欌��
