A Texas State University lecturer is no longer teaching at the university after a doctor publicly shared an expletive-filled Facebook message in which an account with his name and picture told her he hoped she would be deported.
The doctor said she received the message via Facebook Messenger and posted screenshots publicly earlier this week, drawing widespread attention online. Texas State University confirmed on Thursday that the lecturer, Bret Bryon, is no longer teaching at the university as of Wednesday, but declined to say whether his departure was related, stating it does not discuss personnel matters.
Dr. Dhivya Srinivasa, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and the CEO and founder of the Institute for Advanced Breast Reconstruction, first shared the screenshots Tuesday evening on Facebook and reposted them Wednesday, tagging Texas State University. The university’s official account replied in the comments that it was “looking into the matter” and would “take appropriate action based on findings.”
In an interview with The Texas Tribune, Srinivasa said she has posted political commentary and lifestyle and health matters on social media but had not previously interacted with Bryon. She said the fact that it came from an account with a name and photo, rather than an anonymous profile, prompted her to look up information about him and share the message.
She said she was satisfied with Texas State’s response to the message, which derided her as a “leftist” and a “whore” and included other expletives and pejoratives. She sees the message as part of a broader climate in which social media and political rhetoric have emboldened people to make comments they might not otherwise say.
“This guy was an educator, and it shouldn’t come as a shock that people like this work among us and teach the next generation,” she said. “We should be holding people accountable.”
Bryon did not respond to a request for comment.
Bryon was placed on paid administrative leave Feb. 4, according to university records. He later accepted a separation agreement with Texas State on Feb. 17 that lists his departure as a voluntary resignation. Under the agreement, the university paid Bryon $27,822.64, before deductions, in exchange for agreeing not to pursue legal claims related to his employment.
Bryon was listed on Texas State University’s website until Thursday as a lecturer and program faculty member in the Department of Organization, Workforce and Leadership Studies in the College of Applied Arts. University records show he was hired in January 2025 as an aviation lecturer supporting the university’s aviation science concentration.
Before joining Texas State, Bryon worked as a math teacher and department chair at Manor High School from 2016-23, according to application materials he submitted to the university. He has also worked as an operations officer with the Texas Military Department.
While working at Manor ISD, Bryon drew scrutiny over social media posts. In November 2022, an account using his name posted a graphic message on Twitter accusing another user of sexual violence. After the post circulated online, Manor ISD said it had become aware of “now deleted tweets from a Manor ISD teacher that does not align with our Code of Ethics and the culture of our district” and that the matter was being investigated. The district did not publicly identify Bryon at the time.
Separately, records obtained by The Texas Tribune show Texas State received a complaint about Bryon on Jan. 14. The person wrote that Facebook comments attributed to Bryon did not reflect the “decorum that your university upholds,” adding: “As a former student, I am horrified that a professor from a school I loved attending would cuss and name-call on public social media.”
The university’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX reviewed the message and determined the allegations did not meet the threshold for discrimination under university policy, forwarding the complaint to Bryon’s department for review.
In a Feb. 3 email summarizing a meeting with Bryon, department chair Shetay Ashford-Hanserd wrote that Bryon “immediately recalled the comment he made on a Facebook post” and said he had discussed with his wife the need to be more cautious about his social media activity. Ashford-Hanserd also wrote that Bryon had already “taken the initiative to use a tool to redact all his previous comments on social media to prevent any negative repercussions.”
“I emphasized that while he has the right to share his personal views, as a faculty member in the highly visible Aviation program, he may attract more public scrutiny,” Ashford-Hanserd wrote.
Bryon also holds a Texas educator certificate in mathematics, physical science and engineering for grades 6-12, according to state records.
Texas State has taken a more public approach in at least one past case involving faculty speech made outside the classroom. In September, Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse announced the firing of history professor Thomas Alter for remarks he made at an off-campus socialist conference. The remarks were clipped and circulated on social media, and Alter sued the university, alleging his First Amendment rights were violated.
The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.
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