Texas Tech University System bans professors from teaching gender ideology

The Texas Tech University System is banning professors from asserting there are more than two sexes in their courses, as required by state and federal policies on gender ideology.

Chancellor Tedd Mitchell notified the five universities in the Texas Tech University System — Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Angelo State University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, and Midwestern State University — of the new policy in a Sept. 25 memo.

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The memo points to H.B. 229, a January directive from Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and an executive order by President Trump titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” as requiring the policy’s adoption.

“As a public university system, our adherence to these requirements is fundamental to our responsibilities as stewards of public trust,” the memo says. 

The memo continues to state that faculty members must comply with the order in their official capacity, despite retaining their personal right to free expression under the First Amendment.

“While recognizing the First Amendment rights of employees in their personal capacity, faculty must comply with these laws in the instruction of students, within the course and scope of their employment,” Mitchell writes.

“As a system, our role is to provide clarity and guidance to administration, ensuring that each university fulfills its legal obligations,” the memo explains. “I appreciate your continued diligence in reviewing course materials, curricula, syllabi, and other instructional documents and following established procedures to make timely adjustments where needed.”

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Critics of the system’s new policy argue that it infringes upon academic freedom and is an attack on transgender-identifying people.

“Free speech is the backbone of American Democracy,” Brad Pritchett, interim CEO of Equality Texas, told NBC News.  “We cannot stand idly by while the lives of our trans neighbors are erased from the history books.

President Trump signed his executive order on Jan. 20 to combat “ideologues who deny the biological reality of sex.” Governor Abbott sent a letter reiterating the order to agency heads on Jan. 30. 

“The State of Texas recognizes only two sexes—male and female—and sex discrimination consists in treating a member of one sex less favorably than the other, absent some pertinent difference,” the letter said.

In response to a Campus Reform request for a comment, Governor Abbott’s press room pointed to the governor’s Sept. 28 X post on the matter. “This is the model,” he wrote, referring to the system’s new policy. “It’s also the law. I signed a law that there are only 2 sexes in Texas.”

Texas Tech tells faculty to revise instruction, recognize only 2 sexes in classrooms.

This is the model.

It’s also the law.

I signed a law that there are only 2 sexes in Texas.https://t.co/a7c6U7Y8oK #FoxNews

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 28, 2025

Universities across the country regularly promote gender ideology in the classroom. In March, Boston University in Massachusetts organized a conference titled “Pre and Early Modern Trans Studies.”

“This conference brings together scholars working at the intersections between the fields of trans studies, medieval studies, and early modern literary studies,” a description read.

This past semester, Thomas Jefferson University in Pennsylvania hosted a monthly series called “Affirmed Voices” for “trans, non-binary, gender-expansive individuals.” 

Campus Reform contacted all five institutions of the Texas Tech University System and Governor Abbott’s office for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.