A Professor Called a Public Official ‘Some Flunkie.’ The State Attorney General Wants Him Punished.

University faculty-senate meetings aren’t usually attended by state officials, but at Louisiana State University’s meeting on Tuesday, an assistant attorney general for the state showed up. Lauryn Sudduth took the microphone to read aloud a letter from her boss, Attorney General Jeff Landry. The letter called mandating Covid-19 vaccines “problematic” because they violate principles of freedom of religion. LSU requires that students be fully vaccinated or have their spring schedule put on hold, though they are eligible for medical and personal exemptions.

“Any attempt to retaliate or discriminate against any student that chooses to dissent would be a violation of state law,” Sudduth read, “and may subject the university and its employees to lawsuits and liabilities.”

Later in the evening, Robert Mann, a professor of journalism, tweeted his disapproval.

“Louisiana AG Jeff Landry sending some flunkie to the LSU Faculty Senate meeting today to read a letter attacking covid vaccines is quite the move from a guy who considers himself ‘pro-life,’” Mann wrote.

Landry apparently took issue with Mann’s comment. In response, he tweeted that he had asked William F. Tate IV, Louisiana State University’s president, to mete out “consequence” and “accountability” for the insult against Landry’s staffer.

As a tenured professor, Mann said he’s not seriously worried about his job. But he’s disturbed that he hasn’t seen comment from LSU’s leadership on Landry’s remarks.

“This guy has a pretty decent chance of being governor in two years. He’s clearly running for governor,” said Mann, who previously covered state politics as a journalist, then served as press secretary to several Democratic state politicians. “It’s a really chilling message to all faculty members, across Louisiana, that you better not cross this guy. If universities don’t defend us now, don’t defend faculty free-speech rights now, what are they going to do when he’s governor?”

Neither LSU’s vice president for communications nor a representative from Landry’s office responded to calls and emails requesting comment.

Adam Steinbaugh, a lawyer for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, said Mann’s speech is clearly protected by the First Amendment.

“When you have the chief legal officer of the State of Louisiana calling for action against a faculty member for protected speech,” Steinbaugh said, “the correct action is inaction. The university cannot retaliate against him.”

Steinbaugh, too, thought that LSU should say something. “It is important that the university affirmatively defends the First Amendment rights of their students and faculty,” he said. “They need to be able to explain and articulate to the public, and sometimes to lawmakers, or the state’s chief lawyer, that the First Amendment protects this speech.”