University of Texas at Austin leaders fired KUT General Manager Debbie Hiott on Monday, a little more than a month after she publicly challenged safety concerns about the KUT Festival. Hiott, a longtime Texas journalist, had worked at the Austin American Statesman for 28 years before joining KUT in 2019.

Dispute Over Festival Security

The dispute between leaders at the state’s flagship university and the radio station became public on April 28 when major changes to the KUT Festival were announced. The two-day event, which was planned for months, was scheduled for May 1-2. UT-Austin officials cited a safety analysis as the reason for the changes, but Hiott said the school had not provided the analysis.

Hiott said she believed her public response to the university’s statements about the festival resulted in her termination. In an interview, Hiott said she did not know why UT-Austin officials acted when they did and did not have any evidence that speakers, politics, or KUT’s journalism played a role.

Freedom of the Press and University Relations

The festival dispute raised questions about how UT-Austin applies security standards to major campus events and its relationship with KUT. The university holds the station’s broadcast license, KUT employees are university staff, and the newsroom is housed in the Moody College of Communication. However, the station says it operates with editorial independence and relies almost exclusively on donations rather than university funding.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. KUT News and The Texas Tribune have been partners on public events. KUT News is also a media partner with Austin Current, a member of The Texas Tribune’s network of editorially independent local newsrooms.

Original reporting: Texas Tribune (HLL/CB) — read the source article.