Texas A&M Professor Sues University After Firing Over Gender Identity Lesson

Melissa McCoul alleges her constitutional rights were violated when she was terminated following student backlash to her classroom discussion.

Feb. 5, 2026 at 1:47am

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A former Texas A&M University professor has filed a federal lawsuit against the school, alleging she was wrongfully terminated last year after a controversy over a classroom video that showed a student objecting to a lesson about gender identity. Melissa McCoul, who had over a decade of teaching experience, claims the university violated her rights to free speech and due process by bowing to political pressure from Republican lawmakers calling for her ouster.

Why it matters

This case highlights the growing tensions around academic freedom and the teaching of gender identity issues in higher education, as conservative lawmakers and activists push to limit how professors can discuss certain race and gender topics in the classroom.

The details

McCoul was a senior lecturer in the English department who was fired after a video surfaced showing a student questioning whether her July 2025 lesson on children's literature and gender identity was legal under a Trump-era executive order. The controversy led to sharp criticism of Texas A&M's president, who later resigned, though he did not cite the video incident. The university upheld McCoul's termination even after two independent groups found the school violated her due process rights and lacked cause to fire her.

  • In July 2025, McCoul taught a lesson on children's literature and gender identity.
  • In August 2025, McCoul was fired from her position at Texas A&M University.
  • On February 4, 2026, McCoul filed a federal lawsuit against Texas A&M University.

The players

Melissa McCoul

A former senior lecturer in the English department at Texas A&M University who was fired after a controversy over a classroom lesson on gender identity.

Texas A&M University

A public research university in College Station, Texas that terminated McCoul's employment after a video of a student objecting to her gender identity lesson went viral.

Greg Abbott

The Republican governor of Texas who called for McCoul's termination after seeing the video of her gender identity lesson.

Mark Welsh

The former president of Texas A&M University who resigned after the controversy over McCoul's firing, though he did not cite the video incident as the reason.

Tommy Williams

The interim president of Texas A&M University at the time of McCoul's lawsuit.

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What they’re saying

“Today I did something that would have been inconceivable a year ago – I've sued Texas A&M to hold it accountable for violations of my Constitutional rights to free speech and due process of law. There's no satisfaction in doing this, only sadness.”

— Melissa McCoul

“Despite how I was treated, I still love the institution, my former colleagues, and the students of A&M. I hope that this lawsuit will cause the University to think twice about treating others similarly.”

— Melissa McCoul

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide whether to allow the lawsuit to proceed.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions over academic freedom and the teaching of gender identity issues in higher education, as conservative lawmakers and activists push to limit how professors can discuss certain topics in the classroom.