Texas Supreme Court Hears Ex-SMU Law Prof’s Case

The Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a case that will determine whether a former Southern Methodist University law professor will be allowed to proceed with a defamation claim against her former coworkers, who she alleges played a role in her being denied tenure in 2016. 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit sent the state’s high court a certified question on the issue in August, asking for guidance as to whether the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act preempts an employee’s common law defamation or fraud claims against another employee when the basis of that claim mirrors claims being asserted against the employer.