Science Curriculum ban at Texas Universities could include books by Darwin, James Watson, Race Differences

Science Curriculum is being debated across Texas universities

Texas A&M University, with its flagship campus in Bryan–College Station (just northwest of Houston), enrolls more than 153,000 students across 12 campuses statewide. In early November, the Board of Regents introduced sweeping new regulations that could reshape how race and gender are taught across the system.

The Policy Shift

According to Texas Public Radio, the regents voted unanimously to:

• Limit curriculum related to sex and gender identity
• Prohibit faculty from teaching material outside the approved syllabus

Courses at Texas A&M University System schools that advocate “race or gender ideology or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity” will only be allowed with pre-approval, following a policy change approved Thursday.

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents voted unanimously to approve two policy changes that limit curriculum related to sex and gender identity and prohibit faculty from teaching material outside of the approved course syllabus. While the policy changes go into effect immediately, they will not be enforced until the spring semester, according to the board.

Before the final vote, language was revised from “teach race or gender ideology” to “advocate race or gender ideology.” Critics argue this vagueness could chill academic freedom across disciplines from medicine to law.

Continuing:

Before the final vote, FIRE special counsel Robert Shibley told Houston Public Media the policy change would affect a wide swath of curriculum, from civil rights to the Civil War or even classical Greek plays.

“That would subject dozens or potentially hundreds of courses to the veto of high-level administrators,” Shibley said. “So, even if a faculty member just wants to assign one chapter of a book, and it has something to do with race or gender, that means that the college president is going to have to pre-approve that.”

Before the final vote, language was revised from “teach race or gender ideology” to “advocate race or gender ideology.” Critics argue this vagueness could chill academic freedom across disciplines from medicine to law.

Faculty Pushback

Professors voiced concern:

• Geography professor Andrew Klene warned that broad restrictions could silence necessary discussions in medicine, public health, and law.
• Philosophy professor Martin Peterson emphasized that seeking truth often requires exploring controversial ideas.

Race Ideology Defined

The regents defined “race ideology” as any concept that:

• Shames a particular race
• Labels them oppressors in a hierarchy
• Ascribes “less value” as contributors to society

This last phrase could complicate classroom discussions of racial differences, potentially ensnaring works like Charles Murray’s The Bell Curve and even foundational texts in anthropology and evolutionary science.

Darwin in the Crosshairs

Charles Darwin’s Descent of Man contains passages that, in today’s context, are racially insensitive. Would Darwin’s works now be banned from Texas A&M’s curriculum? The question underscores how far‑reaching these regulations could be.

Other Scientific Giants

• Louis Leakey, the “godfather of paleoanthropology,” made racially charged remarks in his 1961 Progress and Evolution of Man.
• James Watson, co‑discoverer of the DNA double helix, faced backlash for controversial comments about intelligence and race.

If enforced broadly, the new rules could place even biology and genetics under scrutiny.

Growing Opposition

Faculty outrage is mounting. Leonard Bright, professor of government and president of the AUP chapter at Texas A&M, condemned the measures as “cruelty and political indoctrination in wolf’s clothing.”

The policies take effect immediately, though enforcement begins in spring 2026. The question remains: how far will the net be cast, and will it ensnare some of the greats of evolutionary science and genetics?

Closing Note

This debate isn’t just about Texas A&M — it’s about the boundaries of academic freedom and whether controversial thinkers like Darwin, Leakey, and Watson can still be taught in the classroom.