by Jessica Priest, The Texas Tribune

November 10, 2025

A Texas A&M University faculty committee created in the wake of two high-profile controversies that raised concerns about political interference in academic and personnel decisions found that the recent firing of English professor Melissa McCoul violated her academic freedom.

McCoul was fired in September after a video of her discussing gender identity in class was recorded without her knowledge and circulated online, drawing intense political and social media criticism. The university said she was fired because the content of her course did not match its catalog description. McCoul is appealing her termination.

In a report dated Sept. 25 and obtained by The Texas Tribune on Monday, the Academic Freedom Council concluded McCoul’s

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