GALVESTON - The president of the University of Texas Medical Branch interfered in the layoff process that followed Hurricane Ike, asking UTMB's provost to remove a woman from the layoff list, according to a court document that recently came to light.
 
The revelation of possible interference by Dr. David Callender casts renewed doubt on the fairness of the layoffs. The American Association of University Professors in 2010 said the process used by UTMB failed to assure that internal politics or political viewpoints didn't influence layoff decisions. The association placed UTMB on its censure list, where it remains.