In spat over ‘flunky’ comment, Jeff Landry tries to get LSU professor punished – The Advocate

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, incensed by an LSU professors tweet calling his assistant a flunky, demanded this week that the universitys president do something to punish the professor.

Bob Mann, a tenured mass communications professor at LSU and a prolific Twitter user, authored the offending tweet. It read: 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 sent his missive during a meeting Tuesday where he and other faculty members were pushing for a stricter vaccine policy at the school. Landry has been a leading opponent of COVID vaccines in Louisiana; he brought an anti-vaccine activist to a legislative hearing this week.

The term flunky refers to someone who performs menial or miscellaneous duties, according to Merriam-Webster.

The remark set off Landry, a conservative Republican thought to be a candidate for governor in 2023. The attorney general took to Twitter himself Wednesday to lash out against Mann, saying his disparaging remarks about this LSU alumna cannot be without consequence. Landry, the chief legal officer for the state, said he had spoken with LSU President William Tate and expressed (his) disdain and expectation for accountability.

This type of disrespect and dishonesty has no place in our society -- especially at our flagship university by a professor, he tweeted. I hope LSU takes appropriate action soon.

It would be an extraordinary move for LSU to punish a tenured professor for such commentary about a public official. Two academic free-speech groups voiced their support for Mann and pointed out public university professors have protections for such speech.

Tate said in a statement Thursday afternoon, "As president of LSU, I am deeply committed to First Amendment rights. LSU is committed to free and open scholarship and the freedom to debate ideas and principles without interference.

Louisiana lawmakers voted Monday to reject Gov. John Bel Edwards' proposalto require students get vaccinated against COVID-19 before entering

Katie Schwartzman, director of the First Amendment clinic at Tulane Law School, said theres no question that Manns speech is protected by the U.S. Constitution, and that LSU punishing him for the tweets would violate the First Amendment.

The law is clear that he has a right to state his personal opinion without fear of being fired or otherwise punished by the government, Schwartzman said. Its just deeply troubling for one of the most powerful law enforcement officers in the state of Louisiana to call for discipline against a citizen for exercising his right to free speech.

Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today.

Landrys office also didnt respond to messages seeking comment over the flap. The Landry assistant whom Mann called a flunky, Lauryn Sudduth, likewise didnt return a call seeking comment.

Landry made his complaint official in a letter dated Thursday, reiterating his problem with Mann.

Mann, an outspoken liberal, dismissed the possibility of being fired for the tweet as silly. And he noted that he himself was a flunky for two decades, having worked for former U.S. Sens. Russell Long and John Breaux and former Gov. Kathleen Blanco, all Democrats.

But he worried that Landrys efforts, especially as a potential future governor, could have a chilling effect on other faculty. He also said the AGs tweet was ironic, given Landrys past pronouncements in favor of free speech and against cancel culture.

This is a guy whos clearly running for governor. When he calls the president of the university, hes talking to someone he understands could be governor in two years, Mann said. It has the potential for a much more chilling effect on faculty beyond me.

The university president reports to LSUs Board of Supervisors, which is appointed by the governor.

Mann had a field day on Twitter after Landrys tweets, which drew hundreds of comments, many of them ridiculing the attorney general. He thanked Landry for helping him sell copies of his latest book saying he had had his best day of sales in weeks and criticized LSU for not speaking out in favor of free speech on campus.

As Mann noted, Landrys effort to get Mann punished cut against the AGs past pronouncements about free speech. Last year, after meeting at the White House about social media platforms, Landry tweeted: We have the right to free speech and expression by all individuals, no matter the viewpoint!

A former top prosecutor in Attorney General Jeff Landry's office has filed a lawsuit against his former boss,alleging that Landry retaliated

Continued here:
In spat over 'flunky' comment, Jeff Landry tries to get LSU professor punished - The Advocate