Texas A&M Committee Finds Firing of Lecturer Over Gender-Identity Lesson Unjustified — Legal Fight Possible

An internal Texas A&M committee unanimously concluded this week that the university's summary dismissal of senior English lecturer Melissa McCoul was not justified, finding the university failed to follow proper procedures and did not demonstrate good cause for termination. The panel's recommendation is nonbinding; interim President Tommy Williams has received the findings and will review them before issuing a final decision.

Committee findings

The committee determined that due process was not observed and that the university did not meet the standard for summary dismissal. In its formal recommendation, the panel stated that the summary dismissal of Dr. McCoul was not justified.

What sparked the controversy

The dispute began after video clips circulated showing a student challenging a classroom discussion on gender identity in a children's literature course. The footage opened with a slide titled "Gender Unicorn," which outlines different gender identities and expressions, and included discussion of the book Jude Saves the World, about a middle-school character coming out as nonbinary.

After a brief exchange about whether the lesson complied with federal guidance on gender-related instruction, McCoul asked the student to leave the class. State Representative Brian Harrison posted portions of the recordings online, and additional footage showed the then-university president, Mark Welsh, defending McCoul's instructional choices during a subsequent meeting.

University response and legal prospects

University officials said they ended the summer section early after the classroom confrontation; McCoul later returned to teach the course in the fall until the videos drew renewed attention. When the dismissal was announced, Welsh said McCoul had presented material he believed did not match reasonable course expectations and did not align with the catalog description. McCoul's attorney, Amanda Reichek, disputes that claim and says McCoul was never instructed to change her syllabus.

Reichek also argued the dismissal was politically motivated and indicated the dispute is likely to end up in court. Republican officials, including Gov. Greg Abbott, had publicly called for McCoul's termination after viewing the clips.

Policy changes and broader context

This month the Texas A&M Board of Regents adopted a policy requiring faculty to obtain approval from a campus president before teaching certain race- and gender-related topics. The policy states that no academic course will advocate race or gender ideology, or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity, unless the subject has prior presidential approval.

The episode at Texas A&M is part of a wider national debate over how colleges handle lessons on race, gender and sexual orientation and how institutions respond to political pressure over campus curricula.

Next steps: The interim president will review the committee's nonbinding recommendation and announce a decision in the coming days or weeks. Meanwhile, McCoul's legal team has signaled that litigation is likely.