Abbott: Texas Going After Leftist Professors to Restore Educational Focus
Governor Greg Abbott said Sunday that Texas is actively targeting professors at state-funded universities who push leftist ideologies instead of equipping students with real-world skills and leadership values.
The Republican governor made the remarks on X while sharing an Axios article detailing the dismissal of Art Markman, a longtime psychology professor at the University of Texas at Austin, who recently lost his administrative post over “ideological differences.”
“Texas is targeting professors who are more focused on pushing leftist ideologies rather than preparing students to lead our nation,” Abbott wrote. “We must end indoctrination and return to education fundamentals at all levels of education.”
Markman, a tenured professor who also co-hosts a science podcast called Two Guys on Your Head, had worked at UT Austin for 27 years and served as senior vice provost for academic affairs. He did not elaborate on what specific “ideological differences” led to his dismissal, though the decision coincides with a broader review of university programming across the state.
According to the Austin American-Statesman, the University of Texas System recently launched a sweeping investigation into gender identity and LGBTQ-themed courses across its 14 institutions. This follows growing public and political pressure from state officials to strip universities of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and other left-leaning curriculum.
Mounting Pressure Under Trump-Era Mandates
The action in Texas comes amid a larger wave of anti-DEI reforms encouraged by President Donald Trump, who has publicly declared war on universities that use taxpayer dollars to promote radical ideologies. The Trump administration has praised Texas for moving aggressively in that direction.
Texas A&M University, though not part of the UT System, has also faced recent controversy. Dr. Melissa McCoul, an English professor, was filmed berating a student over pro-LGBTQ views during a lecture on children’s literature. The footage, released by Rep. Brian Harrison (R-TX), showed McCoul pushing radical gender theory and demanding that dissenting students leave her class.
Rep. Harrison led calls for Texas A&M President Mark Welsh to resign, which he did within two weeks of the incident going public. But Harrison says more needs to be done.
In response to Abbott’s statement on Sunday, Harrison called out the UT System for continuing to offer “LGBTQ Studies” courses, citing examples such as Queer Eastern Europe, Queer Latinx Aesthetics, and Black Queer Art Worlds.
“The University of Texas is still promoting radical leftist ideology with taxpayer dollars,” Harrison said.
The Broader Crackdown
Texas’ aggressive approach reflects a growing trend among red states that are cracking down on what they see as leftist indoctrination in public education. Republican lawmakers in states like Florida and Tennessee have passed similar bills targeting DEI programs and mandatory “social justice” courses in higher education.
Governor Abbott’s administration appears to be doubling down on that effort, sending a message that ideological activism will no longer be tolerated in Texas’ classrooms.
For professors like Art Markman, that means navigating an academic environment that is increasingly skeptical of leftist agendas and increasingly aligned with the national populist right.