Texas Tech chancellor limits academic mentions of transgender and nonbinary identities at five universities

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Texas Tech University System Chancellor Tedd Mitchell restricted the discussion of transgender and nonbinary identities during classroom instruction across the system’s five universities, according to a letter he issued late Thursday.

The letter makes Tech the state’s first university system to issue such limits. Mitchell didn’t explicitly detail what can and cannot be acknowledged in academic discussions or curriculum. He instructed university presidents to ensure faculty follow a presidential executive order recognizing only male and female sexes, Gov. Greg Abbott’s letter directing state agencies to “reject woke gender ideologies” and a new state law that requires a strict binary definition of gender for the collection of vital statistics.

Mitchell’s guidance comes after Angelo State University, one of the system’s campuses, instructed faculty not to discuss transgender identities in the classroom.

“While recognizing the First Amendment rights of employees in their personal capacity, faculty must comply with these laws in the instruction of students, within the course and scope of their employment,” Chancellor Tedd Mitchell wrote in a memo Friday.

Groups like ACLU Texas and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression say none of the measures Mitchell cited prohibit teaching about transgender identity and have warned that ASU’s restrictions undermine academic freedom.

Mitchell is expected to step down later this month after regents confirm the appointment of his successor, state Sen. Brandon Creighton. His letter asked presidents to review course materials, syllabi and curricula and make “timely adjustments where needed.” He called the issue “a developing area of law,” noting that accrediting bodies, such as the American Psychological Association, are beginning to work with universities on how to balance educational commitments with legal requirements.

Mitchell said faculty with questions should direct them to their deans or provosts.

This is a developing story and will continue to be updated.

Are political or cultural shifts spurring curriculum or policy changes on your college campus that Texans need to know about? Send tips to higher education reporter Jessica Priest at jessica.priest@texastribune.org or send her a message via Signal at @jessicapriest.79.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: ACLU Texas and Texas Tech University System have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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