What's Next for Texas A&M?

"When Texas A&M University president Mark Welsh resigned amid an academic freedom controversy last week, he became the institution's second leader to step down due to scandal in two years. Unlike his predecessor, Kathy Banks, who retired in 2023 after she was caught lying about a hiring scandal, Welsh remained popular on campus; faculty sent theBoard of Regents letters of support last week following a controversy that prompted him to fire an instructor,and students rallied on his behalf. But he seemed to lose the support of the deep-red Texas Legislature: Several Republican lawmakers called for his dismissal after a discussion over gender identity between a student and a professor in a children's literature class was captured on video and quickly went viral."

"In the short video, which has racked up more thanfive million views, a student questions whether an instructor is legally allowed to teach that there is more than one gender, which she suggests is "against our president's laws." Welshinitially defended the professor but quickly folded under considerable pressure from lawmakers, firing her and removing two administrators from their duties because they "approved plans to continue teaching course content that was not consistent" with the course's description, he said in a Sept. 9 statement. Amid the fallout, the American Association of University Professors and free speech groups accused Texas A&M of stifling academic freedom and bending to conservative political pressure. (Welsh countered that the case wasn't about academic freedom but "academic responsibility.")"

Mark Welsh resigned as Texas A&M president after an academic-freedom controversy that followed his dismissal of an instructor and removal of two administrators. He was the university's second leader to leave amid scandal in two years, contrasting with predecessor Kathy Banks, who retired in 2023 after a hiring scandal. Faculty and students expressed support for Welsh even as Republican state lawmakers demanded his firing after a viral classroom video about gender identity. Advocacy groups accused the university of stifling academic freedom and yielding to political pressure, while Welsh framed the matter as academic responsibility. The episode raises questions about Texas A&M's direction under legislative scrutiny.

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