Randi Weingarten AFT President | American Federation of Teachers
AFT President Randi Weingarten and American Association of University Professors (AAUP) President Todd Wolfson have criticized the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents following a recent vote that restricts what instructors can teach about race and gender ideology. The unions, which represent a large portion of higher education workers in the United States, expressed concern over the decision.
The Board’s action follows loyalty oath compacts introduced by the Trump administration. These compacts offer universities preferential treatment if they comply with government directives and align with certain partisan positions.
Weingarten stated, “This is censorship plain and simple; it’s what is done by those who fear knowledge and a well-educated citizenry. And sadly, the powers that be in Texas appear to fear knowledge. Instead of standing up against political attacks and maintaining institutional integrity, the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents is aiding and abetting Trump’s agenda for higher education. We must continue to foster a culture where critical thinking and debate are welcomed, where instructors can teach without fear or limitations, where students can be exposed to a diverse range of ideas, and where society can continue to grow and innovate for future generations.”
Wolfson commented, “The notion that politicians or high-level administrators can dictate what can be taught, researched, discussed or debated in a college classroom is fundamentally at odds with what higher education is about. Texas A&M is effectively sacrificing free inquiry and the open exploration of ideas to a narrow, restricted partisan ideological perspective. In essence, this is an attempt at thought control. This will lead to classroom censorship of the free exchange of knowledge at Texas A&M, which will do great damage to the educational value for students.”
Wolfson’s complete remarks addressed to the Texas A&M Board of Regents are available online.
Alerts Sign-up