New restrictions at Texas Tech are changing what professors can teach

Key Points:

• Texas Tech University professors are confronting new state-imposed restrictions on teaching race, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation, following laws that ban diversity programs but exempt classroom instruction and research, leading to confusion and fears of censorship.
• Chancellor Brandon Creighton, who authored the original legislation, has implemented additional policies at Texas Tech that further limit curriculum content, prompting accusations of overreach and causing some faculty to self-censor or alter course materials.
• Faculty members report pressure to remove or avoid certain texts and topics, such as gender and sexuality studies, with some professors leaving the university due to concerns over academic freedom and the impact of the restrictions on their teaching and research.
• Students and faculty have organized opposition to the policies, including a federal lawsuit challenging the restrictions as unconstitutional and vague, and student groups advocating for academic freedom and transparency about the changes.
• Similar restrictions are being adopted across other Texas university systems, with ongoing legal challenges and faculty departures raising concerns about the long-term effects on higher education and intellectual inquiry in the state.