Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is intensifying scrutiny on Texas A&M University President Mark A. Welsh III concerning the fallout from a viral classroom video that ignited political and academic backlash.
The video, shared on X by state Rep. Brian Harrison, includes audio of a student questioning a professor during a summer children’s literature course. The student claimed that a discussion on gender identity— by suggesting there are more than two genders — was illegal and contrary to both their religious beliefs and President Donald Trump’s policies.
“I’m not entirely sure this is legal to be teaching,” the student said in the recording. “According to our president, there are only two genders… I’m not going to participate in this.”
Initially, President Welsh appeared to support the professor, Melissa McCoul, telling the student in a separate recording that her termination “was not happening”. However, that stance shifted after further political pressure and internal reviews.
Welsh later fired McCoul from her position and removed both the dean and English department head, who had approved her course content. In an official statement, he claimed the material being taught was inconsistent with the course’s official description and not appropriate for a children’s literature class.
“This summer, a children’s literature course contained content that did not align with any reasonable expectation of standard curriculum,” Welsh said in the statement.
Lt. Gov. Patrick criticized Welsh for initially defending the professor, calling it “unacceptable” and suggesting that leadership changes may be necessary.
“Most parents, students, and Aggie alumni expect Texas A&M to reflect the values of our state and our nation,” Patrick posted on X. “If President Welsh will not or cannot reflect those values, then change needs to happen.”
McCoul maintains she was never asked to revise her course content. Her teaching, she argues, is not in violation of Texas’s anti-DEI laws, which exempt classroom instruction and academic research from the ban on DEI-related programming.
The exact content of McCoul’s lesson before the student’s objection remains unclear. Still, the incident has reignited debate over academic freedom, political influence in higher education, and the climate for higher education in Texas.
