The Kevin Bass Case¶

In September 2023, a senior associate dean at Texas Tech's medical school emailed Kevin Bass:

"We have no problems with your tweets. You are free to post whatever you want."

— Simon Williams, Sr. Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, September 2, 2023

Sixty-two days later, the university removed Kevin from campus, circulated a "Be On The Lookout" poster directing staff to call 911 if he was seen, and dismissed him from medical school.

After the dismissal, an assistant vice dean emailed the Class of 2025 and Class of 2024 — over 200 students:

"We are one student lighter than last week, and I hope we can all breathe a sigh of relief... just check his Twitter."

— Rachel Forbes, Assistant Vice Dean for Student Affairs, January 7, 2024

She attempted to recall the email.

Kevin Bass has filed a federal lawsuit. The case is Bass v. TTUHSC et al., No. 5:25-cv-00244-H-BV (N.D. Tex.) — seven claims against eleven defendants, including First Amendment retaliation, disability discrimination, and due process violations.

• Jan 30, 2023 Kevin publishes COVID op-ed in Newsweek — 7.5 million views
• Feb 1, 2023 Williams: "obviously protected speech" — then proposes institutional response
• Apr 2023 "URGENT" — dossier compilation begins, 7 months before the tweet
• May 2023 Honor Code pulled, marked "IMPORTANCE: HIGH" — disciplinary file assembly begins
• Sep 2, 2023 Williams to Kevin: "no problems with your tweets"
• Nov 3, 2023 Kevin posts a tweet. The next day: BOLO poster, emergency removal, criminal trespass
• Dec 11, 2023 Hearing — 15 administration witnesses vs. zero for Kevin
• Jan 7, 2024 Forbes: "one student lighter" — then attempts to recall the email
• Dec 10, 2025 $24K balance — 5 months of billing, then 15 months silent — 35 days after lawsuit, sent to collections
• Feb 2026 Federal lawsuit filed — 7 claims, 11 defendants

What the Institution's Own Documents Show¶

These are not allegations. These are facts drawn from the university's own records, filed under oath in federal court.

The complaints were manufactured. Two of three professionalism evaluations that triggered the conduct process concerned the same incidents — double-counted. A sexual misconduct allegation was used in proceedings after the source denied it happened. A passing grade was overridden to Fail. The one investigator who tried to hear Kevin's side was shut down. (Building the Case)

The hearing was structurally one-sided. The administration called 15 witnesses. Kevin was permitted zero. The hearing officer — TTUHSC's $393,000 outside counsel — stayed in the deliberation room and wrote the decision. The administration presented for approximately ten hours; Kevin had roughly thirty minutes. (The Hearing)

Filing grievances was treated as a threat. The university's own Threat Assessment form asked: "Does this involve retaliatory harm?" The answer cited Kevin's protected grievance filings — not any act of violence. Eight of the institution's own officials said Kevin was no threat. (The Hearing)

The recordings contradict everything. Kevin recorded approximately 25 hours of clinical rotations and administrative meetings during the exact period the institution was building its case. The audio shows a student who was warm with patients, respected by residents, and consistently non-threatening — directly contradicting claims of "lacking basic social skills" and posing a danger. (The Recordings)

The hearing recording has not been released. Kevin and the public have been denied access to the audio/video recording of the December 11, 2023 hearing. The university controls the only copy. (Complaint ¶37)

The debt collection followed the lawsuit. TTUHSC billed Kevin aggressively for five months and issued two "FINAL" notices threatening collections. Kevin disputed in writing. The institution went silent for fifteen months. Thirty-five days after Kevin filed his federal lawsuit, TTUHSC sent the account to a collection agency with a 25% markup — a fee the institution never explained despite six written requests. The billing records show the debt was created through the institution's own administrative sequencing. (The Squeeze: Documents)

Recent Updates¶

This site is maintained by Kevin Bass, Ph.D. It is a repository of primary source documents for courts, journalists, and the public. All claims are sourced to primary documents. Change Log · Corrections