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Dan Patrick breaks his silence on A&M professor

By August 12, 2023No Comments

Exclusive Op-Ed: Dan Patrick breaks his silence on A&M professor

As a conservative public official whose actual words have often been ignored and distorted by opponents and the media, I understand the critical importance of free speech, both on college campuses and off. Academic freedom helps ensure Texas students are exposed to a range of ideas and learn how to critically evaluate and challenge those ideas.

But “academic freedom” is not a shield for employees of state-funded universities to hide behind to escape any criticism of what they say and do. Many professors seem to believe they should have total control of all aspects of campus life, from curriculum to the hiring and firing of campus employees. They run off university presidents and chancellors who institute policies they don’t like.

Over the past few weeks, I have sat quietly as a group of professors at Texas A&M have flailed away with overheated rhetoric about my supposed interference with their “academic freedom.”

In March, I received a call from a University of Texas Medical Branch student’s parent, Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, about a statement allegedly made about me by a visiting A&M professor in her daughter’s class. What was told to me wasn’t a criticism of policy. That is part of being an elected official and doesn’t bother me. However, if what I heard was correct, it was a false and inappropriate personal attack on me.

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Upon graduation, Bill went to work for Humble Oil and Refining Department in the Marketing Sales Engineering Department. During his 38 career, he held various management and executive positions in Exxon USA’s Refining, Marketing, and Human Resources departments. Bill retired from Exxon in 2000 after a special assignment to coordinate the world-wide merger of the labor relations activities of Exxon and Mobil.

In 2000, Bill worked for a year during the start-up of Vision America, and then served as a member of the Board of Directors for Vision America until 2016. Bill and his wife built aretirement home in the mountains of Colorado. After 15 years they moved back to Austin to be closer to family. While in Austin, Bill was engaged with Keller Williams in residential real estate. They moved back to the Houston area in April of this year, and has worked with Recover America since.Bill is married to Deborah Gattis, a wonderful wife, mother of their children, grandmother, and worship leader/vocalist. They will celebrate their 40th anniversary this September. They have been richly blessed with 5 children and 12 grandchildren.

Dr. Scarborough is an ordained Minister and served as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Pearland, Texas from 1990 to 2002.  During his time there, he encouraged his congregation to live their faith and consider running for public office. Eventually, his church members occupied most of the seats on the city council and local school board.

Three church members later served with distinction in the Texas State Legislature, one of whom is now in the U.S. Congress, and another who served as a District Judge. A former member is currently the Mayor of Pearland, TX.

Since resigning from has First Baptist Church of Pearland in 2002, Dr. Scarborough personally addressed thousands of pastors, encouraging them to active in the civil arena, leading their congregations to vote their values and be salt and light, while never compromising their faith. He has been the focus of two award winning tv documentaries and has been featured on the front page of the Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, Kansas City Star, Dallas Morning News and Time Magazine, to name a few. He has frequently appeared on National TV standing up for Conservative Christian Values.

In 2018, Dr. Scarborough founded Recover America, a 501c3, which is a Christian non-profit organization, and in 2021, he founded Recover America Action, a Christian 501C4.

Dr. Scarborough is the author of five books. His latest release America in the Balance … “the American Dream vs. the Woke Nightmare” was released in August, 2023. His one-minute commentaries, “I’m Rick Scarborough and This is My Take” are currently airing daily on over 300 stations on the Bott Radio Network and the American Family Radio Network.

Dr. Scarborough received a B.A. from Houston Christian University, an M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a D. Min. from Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary, with additional studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, and Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Tommye, have three children, one of whom is in Heaven, four grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.