Overview

• Senior lecturer Melissa McCoul was terminated Tuesday; her attorney confirmed the firing, said she has appealed, and indicated she is considering legal action.
• President Mark A. Welsh III also removed Dean Mark Zoran and English chair Emily Johansen from their administrative roles for approving content that officials said did not match the published course description.
• Texas A&M System Chancellor Glenn Hegar ordered audits of courses across all 12 campuses and said it is unacceptable for faculty to push a personal political agenda.
• The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said it would look into the incident after a video of a student disputing gender-identity lessons in a children’s literature class went viral.
• Audio posted by a state lawmaker captured Welsh initially saying firing the professor was “not happening,” a position that shifted following public calls from Gov. Greg Abbott and Rep. Brian Harrison for firings and investigations.