Texas A&M bans teaching 'race or gender ideology' at universities

The Texas A&M University System has banned professors from discussing "race or gender ideology" in classrooms as part of the state's ongoing crackdown on free speech in higher education.

The Texas A&M Board of Regents approved on Thursday new policies for its 12 universities that mandate "no academic course within the System may teach race or gender ideology or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity, unless the course and its materials are approved in advance by a university president."

"Texas A&M’s new policy — requiring government pre-approval for curricula about race, gender, and LGBTQ+ topics — is misguided, discriminatory, and an insult to academic freedom," Chloe Kempf, staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas, told The Advocate. "The freedom to learn, teach, and explore is what makes Texas universities strong and prepares our students for their futures. Texas A&M should immediately rescind its policy and instead allow for the uncensored exploration of all ideas on its campuses.”

The decision comes shortly after a professor at Texas A&M University went viral last month when a student in her literature class objected to her correct statement that there are more than two genders, resulting in her being fired and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the head of the English department being removed from their administrative positions. The professor, Melissa McCoul, is currently appealing and considering her legal options.

The University of Texas System, the largest public university system in the state, also launched an audit into all of its courses in October for content related to transgender people and identity. Officials said that the review is being done “to ensure compliance and alignment with applicable law and state and federal guidance, and to make sure any courses that are taught on U.T. campuses are aligned with the direction and priorities of the Board of Regents." The final results will be discussed at the Board of Regents meeting this month.

Texas does not ]have a law prohibiting educators from discussing race or LGBTQ+ identities in public universities, but it does have a "Don't Say Gay" law for grades K-12 that not only bans mentioning sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms, but goes even further by completely outlawing LGBTQ+ student clubs.

While Donald Trump has signed executive orders against DEI, and declaring that there are only two sexes and transgender people don't exist against medical and scientific consensus, these orders are not law and have been partially blocked by a federal court.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said in a post online last month that the state would be "targeting professors who are more focused on pushing leftist ideologies rather than preparing students to lead our nation. We must end indoctrination and return to education fundamentals at all levels of education."

Meanwhile, trans and nonbinary students in Texas are saying they have experienced increased intolerance and harassment as the state cracks down on instruction about gender, with individuals reporting new levels of personal mistreatment at the same time schools are cutting LGBTQ+ support programs.