This page is for Texas Tech faculty and staff who are navigating the current censorship regime. It offers practical steps, documentation tips, and shareable language you can adapt for emails, meetings, and professional communications.
Since December 1, 2025, the Texas Tech University System has implemented—and then sharply escalated—a censorship regime targeting course content related to sexual orientation and gender identity.
December 1, 2025: The Chancellor issued a directive requiring faculty to use a course content review process and to report all spring course content mentioning gender or sexuality. Such content was to be removed unless and until approved by the Board of Regents. In practice, this operated as prior restraint: lawful, discipline-relevant teaching was silenced in advance under threat of discipline. The completion of this review did not occur until the end of the semester.
April 9, 2026: The Chancellor issued a new directive that escalated from review to outright prohibition. Under this directive, course content related to sexual orientation and gender identity is prohibited, with only narrow, tightly constrained exceptions in limited upper-division and graduate contexts, alongside additional restrictions affecting graduate research and advising. All departments and programs centering on sexual orientation or gender identity will be shuttered.
Taken together, these directives function as a ban on politically disfavored subject matter and create a powerful chilling effect across teaching, research, and student learning. A public research university cannot fulfill its mission when political directives determine what it is permissible to learn, teach, or research.
Document what you are being asked to do. Save copies of all memos, emails, portal prompts/questions, and any instructions you receive from supervisors.
Track impacts on students and curriculum. Keep a short log of what you removed/changed (if anything), why, and how it affected learning outcomes.
Use collective channels when possible. Coordinated action through departments, governance bodies, and professional networks reduces individual exposure.
Ask for written clarification. When possible, request clarification in writing about scope, definitions, timelines, and standards being used to approve/deny content.
Save on a personal device:
Chancellor/President/Provost memos and all follow-up emails
Screenshots/PDFs of the portal questions and your responses (if any)
Instructions from chairs/deans/administrators (emails or meeting notes)
Syllabi/lesson plans before and after any changes
Notes on student impact (missed content, canceled activities, changes to discussion)
Dates/times of key events (e.g., Regents meeting date, deadlines imposed)
Incident log for any interactions relating to censorship: what happened, who was involved, what changed, and what the consequence was
Department/college statements focused on academic freedom, shared governance, and student learning
Requests for clarification submitted collectively (department, committee, governance body)
Professional organization outreach (letters to professional organizations; requests for statements, guidance, or support)
Faculty governance routes (agenda items, resolutions, information requests)
Teach-ins/public forums (documented, professional, focused on academic freedom)
Ask colleagues to participate in a letter writing campaign condemning censorship at Tech
Consider sharing your experience with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund