the appellate court in ohio also said trans teachers have no 1A rights to defend students. i know because it was my case. would be happy to talk about that because people need to know what’s coming. we’re taking the case to scotus.
I hope Erin or S. Baum will write an article about your case. Thank you for taking this to the Supreme Court. Even if you lose, the issue will get publicity, which is a tiny win by itself. I have personal familiarity with your state, and I can appreciate that it's not easy to do ANY of what you're doing. Thank you for fighting the good fight!
Texas has been waiting to do this. In December of 2024, I told my mom that I couldn't risk coming back to the state, now that the federal government wouldn't be restraining all the shit Texas wanted to do. I know others make different decisions, but Texas has been waiting for someone like Trump. It's not sucking up. It's the true face.
Texas Tech has taken a draconian step backward with the 2026 memorandum issued by Chancellor Brandon Creighton. The new "Alternate Materials Rule" forces professors to skip over LGBTQ+ history and literature in core courses, even when it is included in industry-standard textbooks. Most alarmingly, the university is now dictating what graduate students can and cannot research, effectively banning SOGI-centered dissertations. These policies undermine the value of a Texas Tech degree and signal a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ students and scholars. Academic freedom is dead here.
Foreign enrollment at US universities has cratered. Those students aren't coming back. MAGAstan is a very stupid place and no one wants anything it has.
I agree with the sentiment. However, from a different perspective, it can be difficult for a texas student, financially, to eschew the entire in-state tuition program! I hope that blue-state universities will consider creating special scholarship programs specifically for deplorable-red-state students who wish to study LGBTQ issues - or who are LGBTQ themselves.
Proving, once again, how important it is to NOT be living in Texas. Who would have ever thought that a university (the absolute bastion for higher level thought) would succumb to such a biggotted philosophy. Oh, yeah. The universities in Germany did the same thing in the 30's (under much the same pressures). I hate to be called hyperbolic, but I can' help but feel a sense of deja vu.
Yeah but everything worked out well for the Thousand Year Reich, right? So it should end equally Götterdammerung well now, too. "Those ignorant of the past are condemned to repeat it".
They're really not being shy about wanting to erase all mention of lgbt people and prevent any further research showing it is normal and healthy so they can manipulate narrativea.
They hope to produce technocratic drones who will help grow corporate interests without challenging religious and political leadership. They want good solid Alphas and Betas to maintain their vision of a society with the monied ruling class gaining ever more, and never challenged or threatened.
Not all of us buy into their grand vision. A reckoning will come.
Their acceptance rate is 67%. So you'd need the application rate to drop by at least 33% to affect the enrollment numbers.
And this policy will affect different majors very differently: a law student might not want to go a law school where they are forbidden from learning about certain court cases, a literature student might not want to go to a school where they can't discuss half of shakespeare's plays, but most chemical engineers will not care unless they are LGBTQ+ themselves. Texas Tech's enrollment statistics (https://techdata.irs.ttu.edu/FactBook/Enrollment/ENRDEPT.aspx) are quite confusing, so I won't be doing the math. But I don't think think 33% drop in applicants is realistic.
If we had a normal SCOTUS, I'd say this was an open-and-shut case of viewpoint discrimination that violates the 1st Amendment. Good luck watching them explain why Rosenberger v. Rector doesn't apply.
Public universities in Texas have long enjoyed a reputation as solid institutions that value open discourse and offer excellent value in a wide variety of fields.
This edict at Texas Tech is another significant step in undermining that reputation. The state of Texas will become poorer for these silly restrictions on speech because they will repel wise students who understand and appreciate the value of a classical liberal education in which freedom of speech is an essential part. We shall see whether Texas Tech will be able to keep its classrooms full with less wise young people.
I am 64 years old, and I have never seen my fellow Americans and their leaders make so many choices that are both counter-productive and deeply unAmerican.
So, are we now protecting impressionable college and higher degree program children from topics that they are too young and innocent to understand?
Not mentioned in this excellent article is perhaps the most profound effect of this policy for the LGBTQ community: The TTU School of Medicine will no longer be able to have course content about (or do research into) the unique medical needs of the LGBTQ community. And worst of all, the TTU School of Law will no longer be able to teach or discuss LGBTQ law. Both of these prohibitions will have profound adverse impacts on our community.
On a personal note, I had to take an "intermission" about midway through the article, because my head was exploding, and I couldn't concentrate on what I was reading.
I'm embarrassed to be a human being at this point. It's as if all of human civilization and learning can be rendered useless by thoughtless administrators.
I wonder how this is going to affect enrollment? Also, whether degrees from Texas Tech are going to be seen as "lesser" by job recruiters or HR departments who screen applicants. Would be karmic to have a university system die because they decided not to engage with reality.
Why would any sane SHRM professional consider hiring from such a swamp of animosity dripping with pretext disguised as an indoctrinational, I mean, educational institution?
the appellate court in ohio also said trans teachers have no 1A rights to defend students. i know because it was my case. would be happy to talk about that because people need to know what’s coming. we’re taking the case to scotus.
I hope Erin or S. Baum will write an article about your case. Thank you for taking this to the Supreme Court. Even if you lose, the issue will get publicity, which is a tiny win by itself. I have personal familiarity with your state, and I can appreciate that it's not easy to do ANY of what you're doing. Thank you for fighting the good fight!
thanks, sarah ♥️
And, once again Texas shoves its head up trump's ass.
Texas has been waiting to do this. In December of 2024, I told my mom that I couldn't risk coming back to the state, now that the federal government wouldn't be restraining all the shit Texas wanted to do. I know others make different decisions, but Texas has been waiting for someone like Trump. It's not sucking up. It's the true face.
Well, I am sorry that you can not go back. Some day, maybe.
Google Review: 1 Star
https://share.google/PB9sKK85o54HQDGBB
Texas Tech has taken a draconian step backward with the 2026 memorandum issued by Chancellor Brandon Creighton. The new "Alternate Materials Rule" forces professors to skip over LGBTQ+ history and literature in core courses, even when it is included in industry-standard textbooks. Most alarmingly, the university is now dictating what graduate students can and cannot research, effectively banning SOGI-centered dissertations. These policies undermine the value of a Texas Tech degree and signal a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ students and scholars. Academic freedom is dead here.
Good luck attracting any students other than hardcore right wing MAGA idiots, Texas Tech.
Foreign enrollment at US universities has cratered. Those students aren't coming back. MAGAstan is a very stupid place and no one wants anything it has.
I agree with the sentiment. However, from a different perspective, it can be difficult for a texas student, financially, to eschew the entire in-state tuition program! I hope that blue-state universities will consider creating special scholarship programs specifically for deplorable-red-state students who wish to study LGBTQ issues - or who are LGBTQ themselves.
“Land of the free”
It's one of our four unalienable rights cited in the Declaration of Independence: the right to comply with the dictates of one's ruler.
Proving, once again, how important it is to NOT be living in Texas. Who would have ever thought that a university (the absolute bastion for higher level thought) would succumb to such a biggotted philosophy. Oh, yeah. The universities in Germany did the same thing in the 30's (under much the same pressures). I hate to be called hyperbolic, but I can' help but feel a sense of deja vu.
You aren't paranoid if they really are out to get you. The parallels are too many and too blatant to ignore.
Yeah but everything worked out well for the Thousand Year Reich, right? So it should end equally Götterdammerung well now, too. "Those ignorant of the past are condemned to repeat it".
I’ll be hyperbolic right beside you. 🫶💪🫶
I'll offer another Osler quote that seems timely: “The greater the ignorance the greater the dogmatism.”
I hate this timeline so much.
They're really not being shy about wanting to erase all mention of lgbt people and prevent any further research showing it is normal and healthy so they can manipulate narrativea.
Obvious 1A violation is obvious . . .
Thank you Erin.
It would be interesting to see how their enrollment numbers and income will drop. What are these assholes scared of?
Just because they refuse to teach about anything related to the LGBTQIA2S+ community doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Always has, always will.
What are they scared of?
Education
Thought of a critical nature
Challenging ideas that might impact authority
They hope to produce technocratic drones who will help grow corporate interests without challenging religious and political leadership. They want good solid Alphas and Betas to maintain their vision of a society with the monied ruling class gaining ever more, and never challenged or threatened.
Not all of us buy into their grand vision. A reckoning will come.
Their acceptance rate is 67%. So you'd need the application rate to drop by at least 33% to affect the enrollment numbers.
And this policy will affect different majors very differently: a law student might not want to go a law school where they are forbidden from learning about certain court cases, a literature student might not want to go to a school where they can't discuss half of shakespeare's plays, but most chemical engineers will not care unless they are LGBTQ+ themselves. Texas Tech's enrollment statistics (https://techdata.irs.ttu.edu/FactBook/Enrollment/ENRDEPT.aspx) are quite confusing, so I won't be doing the math. But I don't think think 33% drop in applicants is realistic.
If we had a normal SCOTUS, I'd say this was an open-and-shut case of viewpoint discrimination that violates the 1st Amendment. Good luck watching them explain why Rosenberger v. Rector doesn't apply.
They won’t explain anything. They’ll use the shadow docket. But of they do, it’ll get attention.
Probably true, alas
Thanks for this report, Erin.
Public universities in Texas have long enjoyed a reputation as solid institutions that value open discourse and offer excellent value in a wide variety of fields.
This edict at Texas Tech is another significant step in undermining that reputation. The state of Texas will become poorer for these silly restrictions on speech because they will repel wise students who understand and appreciate the value of a classical liberal education in which freedom of speech is an essential part. We shall see whether Texas Tech will be able to keep its classrooms full with less wise young people.
I am 64 years old, and I have never seen my fellow Americans and their leaders make so many choices that are both counter-productive and deeply unAmerican.
What absolute horseshit. I hope they lose both professors and students in droves. 😡😡😡
So, are we now protecting impressionable college and higher degree program children from topics that they are too young and innocent to understand?
Not mentioned in this excellent article is perhaps the most profound effect of this policy for the LGBTQ community: The TTU School of Medicine will no longer be able to have course content about (or do research into) the unique medical needs of the LGBTQ community. And worst of all, the TTU School of Law will no longer be able to teach or discuss LGBTQ law. Both of these prohibitions will have profound adverse impacts on our community.
On a personal note, I had to take an "intermission" about midway through the article, because my head was exploding, and I couldn't concentrate on what I was reading.
I'm embarrassed to be a human being at this point. It's as if all of human civilization and learning can be rendered useless by thoughtless administrators.
I wonder how this is going to affect enrollment? Also, whether degrees from Texas Tech are going to be seen as "lesser" by job recruiters or HR departments who screen applicants. Would be karmic to have a university system die because they decided not to engage with reality.
Why would any sane SHRM professional consider hiring from such a swamp of animosity dripping with pretext disguised as an indoctrinational, I mean, educational institution?