UT Leadership: 35-Hour Wait for Response to Racist Post
Internal emails reveal university officials debated whether to name Bo French by name after he targeted South Asian students.
By Amina Kaminski ·
The University of Texas at Austin waited nearly 35 hours to respond to a controversial post that targeted South Asian students. On September 12, Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas railroad commissioner, posted a photo of students celebrating a football victory on X. French wrote, “The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined.”
University leaders monitored the backlash that morning. Patrick Wiseman, the vice president for marketing and communications, told colleagues in a Microsoft Teams message that he had kept leadership informed. “Bo is getting crushed by others,” Wiseman wrote. “No need for us to stoop to these politics and make a UT comment.”
Students pushed for a stronger reaction. An Indian American student emailed President Jim Davis, asking him to call French out by name. The student wrote, “I would like you to film a video, look directly in the camera, and tell me I belong here.” Another student noted, “The silence is getting a bit loud.”
Davis’ office received at least 22 emails about the remarks by Monday afternoon. Alumni and parents also urged action. Rohan Reddy Gupta, a 2020 graduate, stated, “Silence in the face of bigotry is complicity.” Nicolas Cocavessis, a 1978 graduate, wrote, “C’mon man, do what’s right!”
At 6:02 p.m. on Monday, UT System Board Chair Kevin Eltife posted support for students on X. Davis reposted the statement at 6:46 p.m., adding, “Our students are exceptional. All of them are Longhorns.” Neither leader mentioned French by name or described his remarks as racist.
UT communications officials worked to shape media coverage during the controversy. Katie Boshart, director of issues and reputation management, contacted reporters at The New York Times and USA TODAY. She urged them to note that international students comprise about 4% of undergraduates rather than nearly 10% of all students. Boshart argued the distinction mattered because the controversy concerned undergraduate admissions.
A 2024 institutional neutrality policy states that officials should not issue positions on issues of the day in their official capacity. However, university guidelines allow statements when an event has a unique impact on the community. Brian Soucek, a law professor at the University of California, Davis, said French’s remarks met that exception. Davis later addressed offensive speech in an October 16 message, writing, “These outsiders certainly don’t define UT.”
