By Marilyn Odendahl
The Indiana Citizen
August 7, 2026
An IU adjunct law professor, whose controversial political video after the death of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham incited two Indiana congressmen to call for her firing, no longer appears on the school’s website.
However, the university said the removal of Elizabeth Booker Houston’s name and contact information was solely due to routine internet maintenance and was not an indication that the law school has severed ties with her.
Houston has taught a class on food and drug law every spring semester at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law since 2024. A graduate of the University of Memphis, where she earned both a juris doctorate and a master’s degree in public health, Houston worked about seven years at the Food and Drug Administration, before resigning in 2025 after President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
Now a political consultant and commentator, Houston regularly posts videos and comments on social media. The short flick of her delivering a cake to Graham’s Capitol Hill office following his unexpected passing on July 11 sparked a backlash. Houston had the cake decorated with the word “Congratudolences” and, on the video, said the South Carolina Republican was in hell with his “Daddy Satan.”
A handful of Indiana lawmakers and election officials, including Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, took to social media to express their outrage over Houston’s video.
On July 27, U.S. Reps. Marlin Stutzman and Mark Messmer, both Republicans from Indiana, sent a letter to Indiana University President Pamela Whitten and IU McKinney Dean Karen Bravo. The congressmen described Houston’s action as “vile and cruel” and said celebrating anyone’s death regardless of that individual’s political leanings, was “abhorrent and counter to the values of civility, respect, and basic human decency that Hoosiers hold dear.”
“This kind of hateful and insensitive rhetoric has no place at Indiana University and is appalling to see from someone who is employed by your institution,” Stutzman and Messmer wrote in the letter. “Therefore, we demand that you remove Prof. Houston from her position as adjunct professor and terminate her employment immediately.”
Messmer did not respond to a question from The Indiana Citizen asking whether he had had any communication with IU since the letter was sent. Stutzman could not be reached for comment.
An Indiana University spokesperson said IU McKinney’s website has recently been updated to list only the adjunct faculty who will be teaching a class in the fall 2026 semester. Since Houston has taught in the spring and will not be teaching this fall, her name was removed from the list.
In an email, Houston said she was unaware of any possible change in her employment status with the university. She said she is still receiving faculty emails and was invited to attend the fall adjunct orientation.
“So from what I can see, no change on my end,” Houston said.
Stutzman and Messmer asserted Houston’s action violated IU’s “Principles of Ethical Conduct,” which, they said, calls for members of the university community, including faculty, to be “respectful, fair, and civil” when dealing with others.
The congressmen also presented an ultimatum if Houston was not fired. They asked Whitten and Bravo to answer three questions, including whether Houston’s posts and actions meet IU’s ethical standards and align with the law school’s mission of fostering “a mature sense of integrity.”
Althea Kaminske, president of the IU Indianapolis chapter of the American Association of University Professors, said the demand letter from Stutzman and Messmer is indicative of the current atmosphere under which university professors are working. As a new school year is starting, faculty members are reviewing their course materials, modifying programs and thinking critically about what to say in class. The professors are concerned that a student might surreptitiously record a lecture or discussion, which might spark a firestorm if something gets taken out of context.
“People aren’t able to teach within their discipline and based on their expertise and validated sources within their discipline,” Kaminske said. “They are teaching based on a fear of what a politician might think about what they have to say.”
As for the tempest surrounding Houston’s cake video, Kaminske said she hopes IU continues to take no action. She said the university has not acknowledged the viral post and should not impose any punishment on Houston.
“This is a free-speech issue, and whether or not I personally agree with that opinion has nothing to do with it,” Kaminske said. “It’s a very easy call to make. We cannot fire professors or public employees for statements they make as private citizens, regardless of how we feel about that.”
Dwight Adams, an editor and writer based in Indianapolis, edited this article. He is a former content editor, copy editor and digital producer at The Indianapolis Star and IndyStar.com, and worked as a planner for other newspapers, including the Louisville Courier Journal.
The Indiana Citizen is a nonpartisan, nonprofit platform dedicated to increasing the number of informed and engaged Hoosier citizens. We are operated by the Indiana Citizen Education Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity. For questions about the story, contact Marilyn Odendahl at marilyn.odendahl@indianacitizen.org.
