Jackson v. Wright

Summary

On November 9, 2019, music theorist Philip Ewell delivered a plenary address at the Society for Music Theory’s annual meeting, arguing that the field of music theory was built on a “white racial frame” and that Heinrich Schenker, a foundational figure in the discipline, was an “ardent racist and German nationalist.” Ewell’s talk drew significant attention and sparked debate within the academic community. In 2020, a group of scholars published a symposium responding to Ewell’s claims. One contribution by University of North Texas (UNT) professor Timothy Jackson was particularly controversial. Jackson, a senior faculty member and music theorist, accused Ewell, who is Black, of anti-Semitism and claimed his critique of Schenker “occurs in a much larger context of Black on Jew attacks in the U.S.” He also made sweeping generalizations about Black culture, values, and family structures.

Jackson’s essay provoked immediate backlash. On July 29, 2020, a group of UNT graduate music students petitioned their dean to condemn the symposium, dissolve the journal in which it appeared, and investigate its editorial process. A majority of faculty in the division of music history, theory, and ethnomusicology endorsed the petition. Two days later, UNT launched a formal investigation and convened an ad hoc panel to examine how the issue had been produced. On November 25, 2020, the panel issued a report finding that the editorial and peer review process had not met accepted scholarly standards. In response, UNT removed Jackson from the journal’s editorial team and withdrew institutional support.

On January 14, 2021, Jackson filed a federal lawsuit against members of the UNT Board of Regents, several faculty colleagues, and a graduate student. The complaint alleged defamation and violations of his First and Fourteenth Amendment rights under Section 1983. Jackson argued that the university retaliated against him for exercising protected academic speech and sought damages as well as reinstatement to his editorial position.

The controversy centered on the Journal of Schenkerian Studies, an academic journal housed at UNT and dedicated to the legacy of Heinrich Schenker. In July 2025, after more than four years of litigation, the university settled Jackson’s lawsuit for $725,000. As part of the settlement, UNT reinstated Jackson as editor and restored university support for the journal.