UT-Austin has experienced unprecedented turnover in top leadership positions over the last two years, much of it the result of Texas Republicans’ ongoing ideological war with the university. Several prominent deans have been replaced. So have a half-dozen of the university’s administrators, including its president and provost.
In almost every case, the public has learned practically nothing about the events surrounding the replacements. Now, a lawsuit from former UT Police Chief Eve Stephens, who left the university last summer, is drawing back the curtain a bit.
Stephens’ suit, filed in federal court last month, claims that UT violated her civil rights by forcing her to resign in September 2024 based on “her sex, female” and “her national origin, Asian American.” She is demanding that the university reinstate her to her former position and pay her for lost wages. She also wants any supervisor found to have discriminated or retaliated against her to be disciplined, “up to and including termination.”
Stephens was hired as UT’s police chief in July 2023, becoming the first Asian American woman to lead the department. Her hiring followed a successful 23-year career with the Austin Police Department where she worked her way up from patrol officer to become the first Asian American woman to serve as a commander, just a couple of steps below the chief.
“Then, fourteen months into her tenure at UTPD, a different pattern of ‘firsts’ emerged,” Stephens’ lawsuit states. “She became the first UT Austin Chief of Police fired without cause – just weeks after receiving a positive performance review and merit raise. The first Chief terminated in violation of UT System policy. The first Chief replaced by an unqualified, hand-picked white male successor who never applied for the job. And the first Chief whose firing was followed by a coordinated purge of female employees from the department.”
According to Stephens’ lawsuit, her tenure at UT started promisingly, as she dismantled what had been described to her as a “good ol’ boys network,” filled vacant positions at the department, and improved morale by getting 15% raises for every officer on the force. However, after six months in the position, Stephens was placed under a new supervisor – Amanda Cochran-McCall, the vice president of the school’s legal affairs department.
Cochran-McCall came to UT in 2019, after four years serving as a top assistant to Attorney General Ken Paxton. At UT, Cochran-McCall became a top assistant to Jim Davis, who had also served under Paxton and is now the university’s president. Stephens’ lawsuit describes Cochran-McCall as a person who is biased against women.
“Ms. Cochran-McCall’s demeanor toward Chief Stephens and the other female officers was cold, condescending, and unfriendly,” the lawsuit states. “Based on their interactions with Ms. Cochran-McCall, female employees of UTPD believed Ms. Cochran-McCall did not want to have women in leadership positions. … By contrast, female employees of UTPD noticed that Ms. Cochran-McCall’s demeanor toward male officers was markedly different. With male officers, Ms. Cochran-McCall was outgoing, warm, and even flirtatious.”
Stephens’ suit claims that Cochran-McCall overturned her decisions on hiring and promotion and chastised Stephens for retaining documents relating to criminal investigations, documents that would have to be released to the public in the event of a Public Information Act request. Nonetheless, Stephens was praised by university leaders for her handling of the pro-Palestine demonstrations in the spring of 2024. She received a positive performance review and a raise that August.
But one month later, Cochran-McCall told Stephens she was being replaced. When Stephens asked why, the lawsuit claims, Cochran-McCall said she did not have to give a reason.
Stephens was replaced by Assistant Chief Shane Streepy, a white male. According to Stephens’ lawsuit, Streepy was not eligible for the position because he had not previously served for five years at the rank of captain or higher, as required by university policy. The suit also states that Steepy was not required to compete against other applicants for the position and was told he was being promoted before Stephens was informed of her termination. It accuses leadership of attempting to push out female officers, creating a “toxic and hostile environment” in which they feared they could be fired at any moment.
“There are currently no women in leadership roles at UTPD above the rank of lieutenant,” the suit reads. “Beyond senior leadership, Chief Streepy and Ms. Cochran-McCall have also overseen a purge of lower-level female officers and UTPD employees. … [A]t least five other female UTPD employees have been fired or pushed out since the firing of Chief Stephens. They included two of the last remaining Asian American females at UTPD.”
A spokesperson for UT said the university will respond to Stephens’ allegations in an upcoming court filing.
This article appears in December 12 • 2025.