Issuu

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5

@THEBATTONLINE

SPORTS

Big game hunting: A&M men’s basketball seeks wins over Florida, Missouri in twogame home stand at Reed Arena A6

From Kyle Field to Cortina Sliding Centre, a Winter Olympian’s unorthodox path to biggest global stage of his career A8

Letter shows A&M regent, Gov. Abbott discussed ‘threat’ of DEI prior to appointment

File photo by Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION

Gov. Greg Abbott and leaders from Texas A&M are recognized on the field before the start of Texas A&M football’s game against Ole Miss at Kyle Field on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022.

14, 2023, Abbott announced Baggett’s tration in accounting. er Melissa McCoul discussing gender identity Regent Baggett told Abbott March appointment. Since Baggett’s appointment to the Board, in a children’s literature course. The video Abbott, who is seeking reelection for a the regents have hired Chancellor Glenn He- was obtained by state Rep. Brian Harrison his goal was to ‘reestablish fourth term this year, has appointed every gar, former President Mark A. Welsh III and (R-10), which led to McCoul’s firing and the current regent over his more than 11 years as Interim President Tommy Williams, who re- removal of English department head Emily TAMU as the nation’s most governor. In a statement, Abbott’s spokesper- placed Welsh after he resigned in September Johansen and Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences Mark Zoran from their administraconservative public university’ son, Andrew Mahaleris, told The Battalion 2025.

Prior to David Baggett’s appointment to the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents in 2023, he met with Gov. Greg Abbott to discuss “the insidious infiltration of DEI into our universities and the considerable threat it imposes,” according to a handwritten note Baggett addressed to Abbott. The note, which was signed by Baggett and included in his appointment file, was obtained through an open records request to the Texas governor’s office and shared with The Battalion. Neither the note nor the conversation have been previously reported. In the correspondence, Baggett thanked Abbott for considering him for appointment to the Board of Regents, the nine-member panel of governor appointees that oversees 12 universities in the System. Baggett added that he “especially appreciated” his conversation with the governor and made it clear that he would oppose DEI efforts if appointed to the board. “You can be assured that if you appoint me to the BOR, I will be a stalwart in advocating meritocracy over quotas and equality over so called ‘equity,’” Baggett wrote. Baggett ended the letter by stating he wanted to “turn the tide on ‘wokeness’ and reestablish TAMU as the nation’s most conservative public university.” The note is dated Feb. 23, 2023, and a stamp notes that it was received by the governor’s office four days later. A little more than two weeks later, on

that the governor’s focus is on education. “Governor Abbott believes colleges and universities should focus on high-quality education — not political agendas,” Mahaleris said. “Governor Abbott expects his appointed Boards of Regents to ensure that our higher education campuses continue to focus on

“

Last fall, the regents unanimously approved revisions to the Civil Rights Protections and Compliance and Academic Freedom, Responsibility and Tenure Policies, prohibiting courses that “advocate race or gender ideology, or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity,” in a move that prompted

If you so see fit, I’d like to turn the tide on ‘wokeness’ and reestablish TAMU as the nation’s most conservative public university.

David Baggett Texas A&M University System Regent developing our students into the best and brightest in the world. Radical DEI and gender-ideology policies will not be forced on students by Texas higher education institutions.” A spokesperson for the System did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. Prior to his appointment, Baggett founded and ran Opportune LLP, a business advisory firm focused on the energy sector. He has over 40 years of experience in the energy field, according to his biography on the regents’ website, and graduated from A&M with a bachelor’s degree in business adminis-

“

By Ian Curtis Senior Enterprise Reporter

backlash from the American Association of University Professors and other groups. The Board also implemented an AI-assisted course review to bring the System’s campuses into compliance with the policies. Approximately 5,400 syllabi from Spring 2026 were analyzed, leading to six course cancellations. When The New York Times asked Williams if he felt those policies went too far, he said no. He also told The New York Times that he had not personally discussed the new policies with Abbott, who he has worked with in the past. The policy revisions come in the wake of a scandal after a student recorded senior lectur-

tive positions. The controversy culminated in Welsh’s resignation after pressure from the regents and a call with Abbott, as reported by The Texas Tribune. Also throughout Baggett’s time on the Board, the regents banned on-campus drag shows in March 2025, which spurred a federal lawsuit that remains ongoing nearly a year later. In Fall 2024, Baggett voted alongside the rest of the Board to pass a resolution forcing Welsh to eliminate 14 minors and 38 certificates in a decision that drew criticism from faculty at the time due to concerns that it was used as an excuse to cut the university’s LGBTQ+ studies minor. The Board’s official reason for the cuts was due to low enrollment. The regents also cited DEI-related experience in internal conversations as a reason that led to the failed hiring of Kathleen McElroy ‘81 as the director of A&M’s journalism program in 2023, which led to the subsequent resignation of Welsh’s predecessor, M. Katherine Banks. In text messages between Baggett, Regent Jay Graham and another unidentifiable individual obtained by The Battalion at the time, Graham — originally appointed to the Board in 2019 and reappointed in 2025 — wrote of McElroy’s appointment as journalism director, “Please tell me this isn’t true. … I thought the purpose of us starting a journalism department was to get high-quality Aggie journalism with conservative values into the market. This won’t happen with someone like this leading the department.”

McCoul sues A&M in federal court over firing

her September 2025 firing. ing the topic of gender. McCoul maintains lematic was germane to her lesson, consistent Former senior lecturer accuses 4, over The federal lawsuit, filed in Houston, that the material was included in the course with the syllabus, the course description and the System and leadership of firing syllabus. the catalog description.” university, top administrators accuses her without following internal due process In addition to asking for her job back, The lawsuit claims that the administration of violating First Amendment, procedures and for “exercising her academ- McCoul’s lawsuit is seeking compensatory backed McCoul when a student first comic freedom as guaranteed to her by the First damages — lost wages and back pay — and a plained about the content in the children’s due process procedures Amendment.” court order that McCoul did not violate state literature course, visiting her class and saying

By Mathias Cubillan Managing Editor Former senior lecturer Melissa McCoul filed suit against Texas A&M and the Texas A&M University System on Wednesday, Feb.

McCoul names former President Mark A. Welsh III, Interim President Tommy Williams, Chancellor Glenn Hegar and the Board of Regents as defendants. In the filing, McCoul alleged political pressure was the cause of her termination after the student criticized the class for explor-

law, university policy or directives. “There can be no question Dr. McCoul was terminated based on the exercise of her right to academic freedom,” McCoul’s lawyer, Amanda Reichek, wrote in Wednesday’s court filing. “The subject matter that the student, and then the university, found prob-

she was “doing a great job.” The filing comes after an A&M appeals panel ruled in November that A&M was “not justified” in its dismissal of McCoul. The panel’s decision was rejected by Williams and upheld by Vice Chancellor For Academic Affairs James R. Hallmark, as delegated by Hegar.