Texas A&M President Resigns After Republican Pressure 

In recent months, it’s become incredibly clear that Texas doesn’t actually value free speech or free thought. Texas A&M President Mark Welsh submitted his resignation on Thursday after facing pressure from several Texas Republicans due to his initial refusal to fire a professor for teaching gender content in a children’s literature course at the college. 

According to the Texas Tribune, a video went viral last week of former Texas A&M professor Melissa McCoul being confronted by a student who felt that McCoul’s teaching that there are more than two genders went against President Donald Trump’s executive order against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (DEI) and violated her religion. 

Dang, almost sounds like ol’ girl needed a safe space or something. 

The video, along with audio of Mark Welsh refusing to fire McCoul, was shared by state Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, on X. While Welsh eventually fired McCoul, that wasn’t enough for Harrison or Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. 

“His ambivalence on the issue and his dismissal of the student’s concerns by immediately taking the side of the professor is unacceptable,” Patrick posted on X last week. “Most parents, students, and Aggie alumni expect Texas A & M to reflect the values of our state and our nation as well as A & M’s rich history. If President Welsh will not or cannot reflect those values, then change needs to happen.”

Texas A & M Chancellor Glenn Hegar released a statement confirming Welsh’s resignation.

“President Welsh is a man of honor who has led Texas A & M with selfless dedication. We are grateful for his service and contributions,” Hegar’s statement read. “At the same time, we agree that now is the right moment to make a change and to position Texas A & M for continued excellence in the years ahead.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to have Mark Welsh fired earlier this year after the Texas A&M business school invited PhD students to a conference intended to recruit Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous graduate students. 

Harrison took credit for Welsh’s resignation in an interview with the Texas Tribune. “I can guarantee you, if I had done what every one of my critics was trying to get me to do, Welsh would still be the president today, McCoul would still be a professor and the dean, and the department head would still have their administrative duties,” Harrison told the Tribune. “Instead, in a week, you’ve seen everything I’ve caused in one week by doing it the way that I firmly believe Texans want.”

Texas’ battle against free speech in higher education has been ongoing. The Texas state legislature has passed several bills banning DEI initiatives from public universities and colleges, and established a board designed to review curriculum to ensure it’s not teaching “improper ideology.” Earlier this week, a Black student at Texas Tech was expelled and arrested for mocking Charlie Kirk’s death. 

The GOP has long hailed itself as the party of free speech, yet moves like what we’re seeing in Texas, and the FCC threatening to pull ABC’s broadcast license over Jimmy Kimmel giving the most milquetoast critique of the Trump administration, have only driven home that they don’t really care about free speech. They simply want their worldview reiterated ad nauseam and are willing to silence anyone who doesn’t fall in line.  

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