We invite you to express your concerns directly to Texas Tech and the TTU System. The following templates (a detailed and a brief version) were created for use by faculty members at other institutions. Replace bracketed text with your details. Please feel free to add or remove material at your discretion. If you can, cite one concrete policy/action (with date, office, and a brief description) in the appropriate section.
Contacts (CCs) are included below templates.
Subject: Academic freedom and censorship of scholarship/teaching on gender and sexuality at Texas Tech University
To: Chancellor.Creighton@ttu.edu
Cc: dailey.fuller@ttu.edu, christy.haynes@ttu.edu, pres.webmaster@ttu.edu, ryan.morrow@ttu.edu, amanda.chattin@ttu.edu, provost.communications@ttu.edu, cindy.akers@ttu.edu, Genevieve.Durham@ttu.edu, deanofstudents@ttu.edu, eric.bentley@ttu.edu, victor.mellinger@ttu.edu
Dear Chancellor Creighton and members of university leadership,
I write as [YOUR TITLE/ROLE] at [YOUR INSTITUTION] and as a scholar/teacher in [FIELD/AREA] who has long regarded Texas Tech University as a significant public institution with obligations to intellectual freedom, rigorous academic inquiry, and the open exchange of ideas.
I am deeply concerned by recent actions that restrict or chill discussion, research, teaching, or programming related to gender and sexuality at Texas Tech. These actions—whether framed as “neutral compliance,” “risk management,” or “oversight”—function as censorship in practice. They undermine the core conditions of academic life: the freedom to pursue knowledge wherever it leads; to teach disciplinary content grounded in evidence and peer review; and to engage students in good-faith debate about contested questions.
Universities do not exist to guarantee comfort or ideological uniformity. They exist to cultivate critical thinking, evidence-based reasoning, and scholarly expertise, including in areas that are politically charged. Censoring topics related to gender and sexuality is not a narrow administrative exercise. It is an assault on academic freedom with predictable downstream effects:
It signals to faculty and graduate students that certain lines of inquiry are professionally risky.
It diminishes Texas Tech’s competitiveness in recruiting and retaining scholars.
It harms students who deserve a full education rather than a narrowed curriculum.
It erodes public trust in Texas Tech’s commitment to free inquiry.
In particular, I am alarmed by [INSERT ONE OR TWO SPECIFIC ACTIONS/POLICIES, WITH DATES IF POSSIBLE], including:
[Example placeholder] [Office/Unit] guidance on [date] that [brief description of restriction/chilling effect].
[Example placeholder] [Policy/decision] affecting [course content/programming/events/speakers], which has the effect of [brief description].
Even if some of these measures are presented as temporary or discretionary, this ambiguity itself is a mechanism of censorship: it encourages self-censorship and deters faculty and students from pursuing legitimate academic work.
Requested Actions
I urge Texas Tech leadership—beginning with the Chancellor’s office—to take the following steps promptly and publicly:
Affirm—in clear, unambiguous language—that faculty and students retain full academic freedom to research, teach, discuss, and program on gender and sexuality consistent with professional standards.
Rescind any guidance and/or policies that restrict protected academic activity or that invite viewpoint-based discrimination.
Commit to transparency by publishing the relevant policies, decision rationales, and compliance claims that are being used to justify restrictions on teaching and speech.
Establish due process protections for faculty, staff, and students facing complaints related to content on gender and sexuality.
Professional Consequences
Until Texas Tech demonstrates a credible and durable commitment to academic freedom, I will take the following professional steps:
Graduate advising: I will not promote Texas Tech University to prospective graduate students, and I will advise students considering TTU to seek programs where research and teaching on gender and sexuality can proceed without political interference.
Faculty recruitment: In mentoring graduate students and early-career scholars, I will warn potential faculty applicants about the current climate and recommend caution in applying for or accepting positions until there is clear, durable change.
Conferences and scholarly events: In my roles within professional associations and conference planning networks, I will advocate against holding conferences or events at Texas Tech while these conditions persist.
I urge you to publicly reaffirm academic freedom at Texas Tech—by rescinding or revising restrictive guidance, ensuring transparent and viewpoint-neutral processes, and protecting faculty and students from retaliation for engaging in legitimate scholarship and teaching on gender and sexuality.
I would welcome a written response describing what steps your office will take (and what steps you will request of the President/Provost where applicable) to address these concerns, including relevant timelines and points of contact.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR TITLE]
[DEPARTMENT], [INSTITUTION]
[EMAIL]
[PHONE (OPTIONAL)]
Subject: Academic freedom and censorship of scholarship/teaching on gender and sexuality at Texas Tech University
To: Chancellor.Creighton@ttu.edu
Cc: dailey.fuller@ttu.edu, christy.haynes@ttu.edu, pres.webmaster@ttu.edu, ryan.morrow@ttu.edu, amanda.chattin@ttu.edu, provost.communications@ttu.edu, cindy.akers@ttu.edu, Genevieve.Durham@ttu.edu, deanofstudents@ttu.edu, eric.bentley@ttu.edu, victor.mellinger@ttu.edu
Dear Chancellor Creighton and members of university leadership,
I write as [YOUR TITLE/ROLE] at [YOUR INSTITUTION] and as a scholar/teacher in [FIELD/AREA]. I am deeply concerned by Texas Tech’s current restrictions on teaching, research, and programming related to gender identity and sexuality. These measures function as censorship and undermine the core conditions of academic life: evidence-based instruction, rigorous inquiry, and the open exchange of ideas at a public university.
I urge Texas Tech leadership to act promptly and publicly: affirm in clear language that faculty and students retain full academic freedom to research, teach, discuss, and program on gender and sexuality consistent with professional standards; rescind any guidance or policies that restrict protected academic activity or invite viewpoint-based discrimination; and publish the policies and compliance claims being used to justify these restrictions, alongside clear due-process protections for those targeted by complaints. Until Texas Tech demonstrates a credible and durable commitment to academic freedom in this area, I will not promote Texas Tech to prospective graduate students or faculty members in my advising, mentoring, or professional networks. I will also encourage colleagues and relevant committees to reconsider Texas Tech as a site for conferences, visiting talks, and other scholarly programming.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR TITLE]
[DEPARTMENT], [INSTITUTION]
[EMAIL]
[PHONE (OPTIONAL)]
(email addresses included in template CC list)
Chancellor’s Office
Brandon Creighton, Chancellor of TTU System: Chancellor.Creighton@ttu.edu
Dailey Fuller, Chancellor’s Chief of Staff: dailey.fuller@ttu.edu
Christy Haynes, Chancellor’s Deputy Chief of Staff: christy.haynes@ttu.edu
President’s Office
Lawrence Schovanec, President: pres.webmaster@ttu.edu
Ryan Morrow, Senior Administrative Assistant: ryan.morrow@ttu.edu
Amanda Chattin, Senior Administrative Assistant: amanda.chattin@ttu.edu
Provost’s Office
Ronald Hendrick, Provost of Texas Tech: provost.communications@ttu.edu
Cindy Aikers, Vice Provost for Administrative Affairs: cindy.akers@ttu.edu
Genevieve Durham DeCesaro, Vice Provost for Faculty Success: Genevieve.Durham@ttu.edu
Dean of Students
General inquiries: deanofstudents@ttu.edu
General Council
Eric D. Bentley, Vice Chancellor & General Counsel: eric.bentley@ttu.edu
Victor Mellinger, Associate Vice Chancellor, Deputy General Counsel & Executive Director for Litigation: victor.mellinger@ttu.edu