Texas A&M Fires Professor, Administrators Over Gender Ideology Course Controversy

Texas A&M University fired English professor Melissa McCoul after a viral video showed a student challenging McCoul’s teaching on gender identity in a children's literature class, citing President Trump's executive order against promoting gender ideology using federal funds. University President Mark Welsh stated that McCoul's course content did not align with the official course description and that she was repeatedly instructed to change it but failed to comply. The controversy led to the removal of the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the head of the English department from their administrative positions. McCoul and her attorney contend that she was not instructed to alter her syllabus and argue that her firing violates constitutional and academic freedom rights. The Texas A&M System Board of Regents plans to audit all courses for compliance with the law, and the U.S. Department of Justice has expressed concern and may investigate the incident. Separately, at the University of Arizona, a Christian professor has filed a lawsuit alleging unlawful termination for opposing gender ideology policies, claiming retaliation against his constitutionally protected speech and religious exercise.