A former professor has filed a lawsuit against Texas A&M University, claiming she was fired due to political pressure from state officials after a secretly recorded video of her lecture on gender identity in literature was posted online. Dr. Melissa McCoul alleges the university terminated her employment to appease politicians, despite a previously clean record.
The lawsuit, filed in Houston on Wednesday, details a series of events that began last summer and culminated in her dismissal. McCoul asserts that the university initially supported her teaching methods before reversing its stance following public criticism from elected officials, including State Representative Brian Harrison and Governor Greg Abbott.
Key Takeaways
- Dr. Melissa McCoul is suing Texas A&M, alleging wrongful termination influenced by political pressure.
- The dispute began after a student secretly recorded a lecture on gender identity in children's literature.
- The lawsuit claims Governor Greg Abbott's office directly pressured the university to fire McCoul.
- Texas A&M's official reason for dismissal was failure to change a course description, a claim McCoul's lawsuit calls false.
The Classroom Incident
The controversy began on July 11, when a student in Dr. McCoul's ENGL 360 class, which focused on children's literature, posted a screenshot from a lecture slide to the social media platform X. The slide explored themes of sexual orientation. The post gained significant attention after being shared by State Rep. Brian Harrison.
According to the lawsuit, the university’s initial response was supportive. An associate dean reportedly observed McCoul's class and concluded she was “doing a great job.” However, the situation escalated the following day when a different student disrupted the class.
The lawsuit alleges this student appeared to be reading from a prepared script while recording the exchange. The student claimed the lesson on gender identity violated her religious beliefs and a presidential executive order. McCoul eventually dismissed the student from the classroom for disrupting the lesson.
A Pattern of Pressure
Following the classroom disruption, the student who was dismissed secured a meeting with then-University President Mark Welsh. The lawsuit alleges the student secretly recorded this meeting as well, during which she demanded Dr. McCoul be fired. The university subsequently decided to end the summer course early.
McCoul, who had been employed by Texas A&M since 2017, stated in her filing that she had never been reprimanded during her tenure prior to these events.
Escalation and Termination
The issue resurfaced at the start of the fall semester. McCoul was scheduled to teach a course on young adult literature, ENGL 361. The lawsuit states that the same student who disrupted her summer class complained, even though she was not enrolled in the new course. In response, the university reassigned McCoul to teach a different course, ENGL 394.
On September 8, the situation reached a critical point. McCoul began receiving hostile emails from unknown accounts during her class. She soon discovered that Rep. Harrison had posted the video of her summer classroom exchange with the student on X.
High-Profile Intervention
The online video prompted public statements from top state officials. Then-President Welsh announced the immediate removal of the dean and department head of the College of Arts & Sciences. Governor Greg Abbott responded to the news on X, stating, “Good. Now fire the professor who acted contrary to Texas law.”
The lawsuit further alleges that Governor Abbott’s chief of staff contacted President Welsh directly to pressure him to terminate McCoul. The next day, McCoul received her termination notice via email.
The university's stated reason for her dismissal was that she had been “instructed on multiple occasions to change the course description” and “chose not to follow the directive.” McCoul’s attorney, Amanda Reichek, wrote in the lawsuit, “There is no truth to this explanation,” adding that McCoul was never instructed to change her course content.
University and Political Response
When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the Texas A&M University System acknowledged the lawsuit but declined to comment on pending litigation. Chris Bryan, vice chancellor for marketing and communications, stated, “we intend to vigorously defend against the claims.”
Governor Abbott’s office reiterated its position on university curricula. In a statement, press secretary Andrew Mahaleris said, “Gov. Abbott believes colleges and universities should focus on high-quality education — not political agendas. Radical DEI and gender-ideology policies will not be forced on students by Texas higher education institutions.”
Representative Harrison has been outspoken about his role in the matter. He dismissed McCoul’s lawsuit, calling it “not even worth the paper it’s written on.” He has also taken credit for recent policy changes at the university, including the elimination of the Women and Genders Studies program, aimed at restoring its “pre-woke glory.”
“If anybody had a constitutional violation, it would have been the poor conservative student who bravely stood up to this authority figure. (McCoul) kicked her out of her classroom, violating her free speech rights,” Harrison said.
Concerns Over Academic Freedom
The events have sparked concern among some faculty members about academic freedom and external influence over university affairs. Leonard Bright, a Texas A&M professor and president of the College Station chapter of the American Association of University Professors, questioned the level of influence wielded by politicians.
“Why is the board allowing our universities to be basically co-opted by a small group of individuals?” Bright asked. He argued that such actions are detrimental to the institution's standing.
“This injures our university,” he said. “This injures the entire education enterprise. Texas A&M’s reputation has been thrown under a bus.”
The lawsuit filed by Dr. McCoul seeks to challenge the university's actions, bringing the debate over academic independence and political influence in higher education into a legal forum.