As an Aggie, I'm Ashamed of My Alma Mater

Being an Aggie is like being part of a club, complete with secret handshakes and iconography, and it is supposed to say something about you when you are a member. It speaks to character, to achievement. We wear our Aggie rings proudly, shaking hands with complete strangers in bars and airports, telling them our graduation year (2016 for me, whoop).

When I was a student at Texas A&M, we had to sign a pledge before every exam. It’s not very complicated, just a recognition of the Aggie Code of Honor: “An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do.” I assume today’s students do the same thing.

Nowhere in the Code of Honor does it proclaim that Aggies must have a spine. It’s implied, sure, and the loudest, proudest members of the A&M family will tell anyone who will listen – and even people who won’t – about how Aggies are the most principled, disciplined and honorable individuals to walk the Earth. We are steeped in tradition, always proud to stand up for what is right, even when it means going against popular opinion.

What a shame, then, to see the university’s leadership behaving without the honor and integrity the school purports to represent.

This week, Texas A&M bowed to pressure from Republican legislators and Gov. Greg Abbott to fire Melissa McCoul, a teacher whose children’s literature coursework recognized more than two genders. Additionally, two administrators, Dean Mark Zoran and head of the English department Emily Johansen, were reportedly relieved of their administrative duties, the campus newspaper reported.

The viral video that kicked off this firestorm shows a student declaring in class that she will not participate in a discussion on gender identity because “it’s not legal” and goes against her religious beliefs. McCoul then disagrees with the subject being illegal and lets the student know she is welcome to leave if she is uncomfortable engaging in the discussion.

Audio was released of a later conversation between Texas A&M President Mark Welsh and the student regarding the incident. In it, Welsh accuses the young woman of trying to pick a fight and asks if she expects the university to fire the professor. “Yes, absolutely,” she replies. Welsh tells her that will not happen.

Except, of course, it did.

Rather than defending intellectual curiosity, openness and equality, Welsh and his cronies kowtowed to those in power. They would rather sacrifice A&M’s integrity than risk a single penny of funding from an anti-science, anti-civil rights administration. In doing so, they not only dishonor themselves, they disrespect the proud, queer members of the Aggie family who have walked the university’s campus and whose tuition money goes into the same coffers as the money from bigots who deny their existence. Defending them just isn’t as popular these days.

By bowing to the whims of autocratic hate-mongers, they have shown that Texas A&M University is no better than its peers – and, in fact, is happy to take a knee when the going gets tough, rather than standing strong and supporting its staff and students.

Of course, Texas A&M has defended its decision and announced that this is not an infringement on academic freedom. What else would they say?

My guess is that many people, myself included, will look at their Aggie rings with a little less pride today. Yesterday, they were a source of pride. Today, they’re symbols of a system tarnished by the cowardice of its leaders.