UT professor fired, arrested after pro-Palestine campus protest

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A University of Texas at Austin professor was fired days after he was arrested in connection with a pro-Palestine protest on campus. An attorney representing the professor told KXAN that a specific reason for his firing was not given.

Richard Douglas Heyman, a liberal arts professor, was charged with interference of public duties-- a Class B misdemeanor-- following an incident with law enforcement on April 29 on the UT south lawn. Heyman was arrested on Wednesday, May 8, online court records say.

When KXAN asked about Heyman's termination, UT said it doesn't comment on personnel matters. Heyman's attorney said the professor was fired on Thursday.

On April 29, a group of pro-Palestine protesters gathered on the campus' South Mall and set up several tents in the area. The protest was one of several on campus that resulted in a standoff between law enforcement and demonstrators.

According to the affidavit, Heyman went up to Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers who were making a barrier around the encamped protesters on the lawn and yelled "F**k you, you don't belong here." Law enforcement told Heyman to leave the area and he chose to stay, the affidavit states.

Later, the affidavit states Heyman tried to go through a "temporary fence" of bicycles set up by law enforcement to prevent people from getting to the protester encampment. The officer pushed Heyman back.

Heyman then yelled at the officer and raised his water cannister above his head "primed to swing the bottle," the affidavit states.

"Heyman then grabbed my [the officer's] bike by the handle with his left hand and maintained the swinging position with his right hand," the affidavit states.

When Heyman grabbed the bike, he broke the bike bell and "became aggressive toward UT PD officers," the affidavit states.