Faculty members at Texas A&M University, along with the American Association of University Professors, filed a lawsuit on Monday challenging a university policy adopted last fall that requires courses addressing “race or gender ideology, sexual orientation, or gender identity” to obtain presidential approval before proceeding.
According to the lawsuit, implementation of the policy has led to the closure of the university’s women’s and gender studies program, restrictions on course materials, and cancellation of certain classes. Faculty have reported being prohibited from teaching specific works by Plato and from screening the film Moonlight, which deals with LGBTQ themes. The plaintiffs contend the policy is unconstitutional and seek a federal court declaration to that effect.
The lawsuit argues that the policy lacks sufficient clarity regarding what content is permissible in academic settings and grants administrators excessive discretion in enforcement, creating potential for censorship of disfavored viewpoints. Leonard Bright, a professor and president of the Texas A&M chapter of the AAUP, is among the named plaintiffs. His course was canceled during the previous spring semester. In a statement, Bright described the policy’s impact on faculty teaching capacity and student learning, characterizing it as having a broad chilling effect on academic freedom.
The dispute extends beyond Texas A&M, as the AAUP is simultaneously pursuing litigation against the Texas Tech University system over comparable policies. Texas Tech system lawyers have defended their position by arguing that classroom instruction paid for by the employer constitutes the employer’s speech and therefore lacks First Amendment protection. However, a federal appeals court recently rejected similar arguments from Florida officials, characterizing such claims as “a breathtaking assertion of power.”
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