Public university in Texas removes professor for "ideological differences"

Austin,.- The University of Texas at Austin, the second largest public university in the state, removed a tenured professor from an administrative position due to "ideological differences." The state Governor, the ultra-conservative Greg Abbott, confirmed the decision this Monday on his X platform account, and added that his state is "targeting teachers who are more focused on promoting left-wing ideologies than on preparing their students" for leadership.

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"We must end indoctrination", the governor wrote, without giving further details. A few days ago, Professor Art Markman indicated on his LinkedIn account that last September the University of Texas at Austin decided to remove him from his administrative positions. The academic had tenure and had worked for more than 27 years in the Department of Psychology. Public universities in Texas, a state where legislative and executive control is in the hands of Republicans, have faced several recent dismissals for ideological reasons. Also in September, the director of Texas A&M, left his position amid criticism from conservative sectors after a video in which a student questions a professor for teaching about gender identity went viral. The academic in the video, Melissa McCaul, and the dean of the Faculty of Arts were fired. Another professor, from the also public Texas State University, lost his position after being accused of "inciting violence" for a speech he gave during a socialist conference. The University of Texas at Austin is part of a list of 9 educational institutions that received guidelines from the White House to modify their practices in exchange for preferential treatment when accessing government funds. According to The Wall Street Journal, among the requirements for signing this agreement is to prohibit the use of ethnicity or gender in hiring and student admissions, reduce the number of international students, and penalize faculties that "ridicule or penalize" right-wing ideology.