Tangled web
Texas A&M University swiftly fired a lecturer and removed two administrators after a student filmed herself arguing with the instructor that a children’s literature course broke the law because the coursework recognized more than two genders.
The student cited President Trump, who has signed an executive order saying his administration would push for the recognition of only two genders. After the video taken by the student was posted on social media, Republican politicians in the state, including the governor, demanded quick action from the public university, accusing the instructor of “blatantly indoctrinating students in gender ideology.”
The school’s moves were condemned by advocates of academic freedom, who say they reflected a state that was veering into authoritarianism at a moment when the Trump administration was using the weight of the federal government to target speech it disfavors.
On the one hand we don’t want the state micromanaging what universities teach, especially when the state=Donald Trump. On the other hand we don’t want universities teaching lies as settled knowledge. On the other other hand, religious universities teach lies as a matter of course, so what do we do with that?
Amanda L. Reichek, a lawyer for Dr. McCoul, said she was “never instructed to change her course content” before being fired.
“In fact, Dr. McCoul taught this course and others like it for many years, successfully and without challenge,” Ms. Reichek said in a statement. “Instead, Dr. McCoul was fired in derogation of her constitutional rights and the academic freedom that was once the hallmark of higher education in Texas. She has appealed her termination and is exploring further legal action.”
But should she be teaching actual absurd lies that are harmful to the less powerful half of the population? But if the answer is no, who is going to be doing the enforcing?
Academics have worried about a deteriorating environment for free expression on college campuses since Mr. Trump took office and began an attack on higher education over the perceived liberal bent of many campuses.
Yes, but on the other hand, women have worried about students being taught systematic lies about gender and sex, lies that leave women worse off than we already are.
Only two genders, or only two sexes?
Colin, both. The EO that Trump signed says only two sexes, male and female. But, Trump being Trump decreed after signing it that “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.”
So Trump fell into the tarpit that is the word “gender,” which depending on context can refer to grammatical gender, such as masculine, feminine or neuter; the state of being masculine or feminine as defined by adherence to cultural stereotypes; the 67 genders (or whatever the number now is) proposed by gender activists; or the members of one sex.
After years of a deteriorating environment for free expression on college campuses since the TRAs took over the reins and began an attack on women.
I believe strongly in academic freedom; I also believe that an instructor is obligated to deliver a rigorous course with credible material.
I don’t think this is a good hill for the left to die on, because this is one they will die on. Fighting for academic freedom on this particular issue makes the left look idiotic. Try the teaching of slavery issue, or the Japanese internment camps issue…now there you have something worth fighting for, and one that would show people just what it is the right is demanding. Right now, the conservatives appear to be in the right, making it easy for people to shrug and go along. But once they get people on board with limiting academic freedom, what’s next? Global warming? Evolution? The laws that regulate sexual assault? Everything will be up for grabs.
Iknklast: what they’re doing is taking away the right to say 2+2=5 in order to establish a precedent that you can’t say 2+2=4. And the worst thing is, it’s probably going to work.