Leadership at the University of Texas at Austin has fired KUT Public Media General Manager Debbie Hiott, following a back-and-forth fight with UT over the station's inaugural festival last month.
An email to staff at Austin's NPR station, addressed from Anita L. Vangelisti, the interim dean of the Moody College of Communication, said the decision was effective immediately.
"I want to thank Debbie for the service she has provided in this role since 2019," the dean said. "She has been a dedicated proponent of providing news, content and music to the Central Texas community and beyond."
In a phone interview with Hiott while she was on her way home from the office, she said she had no contact with any university officials about the dispute related to the KUT Festival in recent weeks.
Then, Monday morning, an assistant to Vangelisti sent her an email asking her to attend a meeting for which there was no calendar invite. They offered her the opportunity to resign, which she refused.
"I said, you know, well, you'll have to fire me," Hiott said she responded.
Hiott said Vangelisti then presented her with a termination letter, which she signed. The letter, Hiott recalled, said that she was being fired "because of planning problems with the KUT festival and security issues" and that Vangelisti "had lost her faith in my ability, my leadership of the station."
Vangelisti said an interim general manager will be named as soon as Tuesday "and will reach out promptly to ensure continuity and ongoing support for your work."
This is a developing story.
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