Texas Tech University System Chancellor Tedd Mitchell restricted the discussion of transgender and nonbinary identities during classroom instruction across the system鈥檚 five universities, he issued late Thursday.
The letter makes Tech the state鈥檚 first university system to issue such limits. Mitchell didn鈥檛 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鈥檚 letter directing state agencies to 鈥渞eject woke gender ideologies鈥� and a new state law that requires a strict binary definition of gender for the collection of vital statistics.
Mitchell鈥檚 guidance comes after Angelo State University, one of the system鈥檚 campuses, in the classroom.
鈥淲hile 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,鈥� Chancellor Tedd Mitchell wrote in a memo Friday.
say none of the measures Mitchell cited prohibit teaching about transgender identity and have warned that ASU鈥檚 restrictions undermine academic freedom.
Mitchell is expected to step down later this month after regents of his successor, state Sen. Brandon Creighton. His letter asked presidents to review course materials, syllabi and curricula and make 鈥渢imely adjustments where needed.鈥� He called the issue 鈥渁 developing area of law,鈥� 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.