In a dramatic and courageous stand for press freedom last fall, the staff of The Mercury at the University of Texas at Dallas went on strike following administrators’ controversial firing of their editor. Now, with the support of the Student Press Law Center and our partners, they operate a new student newspaper, The Retrograde, completely independent of the university.
The ousting of Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez as editor in September 2024 followed months of rising tensions between student journalists and university leadership, sparked in part by The Mercury’s coverage of how officials handled pro-Palestine protests on campus. Instead of supporting a free student press, administrators doubled down on their interference, culminating in Gutierrez’s removal.
The Student Press Law Center had been supporting the newspaper’s staff long before conflict with the university reached a boiling point. For over a year, our team provided UT-Dallas student journalists with support through our Legal Hotline, including vetting their coverage for any potential legal concerns and coaching them through requests to access public records.
“The advice given during this early period helped us ensure we provided an unprecedented level of coverage for an event at UTD despite our university doing its best to keep the information obscured,” Gutierrez said.
When UT-Dallas removed Gutierrez as editor under the pretense of bylaw violations, we mobilized with the Foundation for Individual Rights to Expression to express our concern over the university’s interference in The Mercury’s editorial independence. We also urged updates to the university’s student media bylaws, which included vague and contradictory language that provided no legitimate grounds to remove Gutierrez. After months of sustained pressure, the university began the process to develop new bylaws.
Gutierrez called the Student Press Law Center “one of the most important resources available to student journalists,” helping them overcome obstacles “by empowering students with information and a support system that lets them stand up for the rights of a free press on college campuses.”
“The Retrograde only exists because of the early and crucial support we received from SPLC,” he said.
Between behind-the-scenes legal support and public advocacy, SPLC supported UT-Dallas student journalists in defending their First Amendment rights. With our legal guidance and expertise, we helped equip student journalists with the knowledge, tools and confidence to stand up to university administrators and launch their own newspaper — proving that student voices cannot be silenced.
About the Student Press Law Center: The Student Press Law Center is the nation’s only legal organization devoted exclusively to defending and advancing the free press rights of student journalists. Since 1974, we have helped students and their educators navigate the law, strengthen their reporting and stand up for press freedom. Our legal support, education and advocacy empower student journalists to report freely and courageously. Learn more at splc.org.