COLLEGE STATION, Texas-AFT President Randi Weingarten and American Association of University Professors President Todd Wolfson issued the following statement condemning the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents for voting in favor of limiting what instructors can teach regarding race and gender ideology. The two affiliated unions are the nation's largest representatives of higher education workers. The decision by the Board of Regents comes after the Trump administration offered loyalty oath compacts that would give universities preferential treatment in exchange for unprecedented government control and allegiance to partisan ideological demands.

AFT President Randi Weingarten said, "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."

AAUP President Todd Wolfson said, "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 full comment to the Texas A&M Board of Regents can be found here.

# # # #

The AFT represents 1.8 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.