Former San Antonio poet laureate Nephtalí De León sued the Alamo City and Krystal Jones, director of the Arts & Culture Department, over his firing last year.
The lawsuit alleged his firing was in violation of his protected free speech. It also said the city violated its contract with De León by firing him without notice, and without giving De León the opportunity to explain himself.
On Aug. 1, 2023, De León posted to Facebook a poem honoring Roberto “Cintli” Rodríguez, a friend and professor of Latin American Studies who had recently died. In that poem, De León used a slang term for Black people.
De León maintained that the phrase was not intended as an insult.
Juan Tejeda, a former Latin American Studies teacher, and others questioned the poet's use of the term.
“It was a poem type of eulogy [for Rodríguez], he said. "Unfortunately, [De León] used what some people are calling now the ‘M-word,’ which has been used in a racist and derogatory way within our Chicano culture and Mexican American culture here in San Antonio to refer to Black people,” Tejeda said.
That criticism led to the poet laureate's termination a few days later.
The city explained at the time that it “championed policies and practices that empower a just, inclusive and equitable city,” and that “the poet laureate is to uphold these values.”
After De León’s firing, Tejeda noted the poet’s accomplishments and his regret over how it all played out.
“I think we're in a moment of time where, for better or for worse, there's this sort of cancel culture out there, and I think we need to be careful with that,” he said.
De León ascended to the poet laureate position in March 2023. His tenure lasted a few months.
De León’s attorneys said he did not use the Chicano term as a slur. They added that the affair has harmed his professional reputation.
The City of San Antonio did not respond to TPR's request for comment.
