FORT WORTH, Texas — A Texas A&M graduate professor was told by the school’s government and public service department that his Ethics in Public Policy class was canceled three days into the spring 2026 semester.

The university alleges professor Leonard Bright refused to submit information needed to be exempt from a new rule on teaching course content that is considered to include “gender and race ideology,” according to an email sent to faculty. Texas A&M’s board of regents passed the rule in December.

In an email to employees at A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service, Dean John Sherman wrote that Bright was not asked to change course content, but was asked to supply the school information on his course and planned instruction on topics related to race and gender ideology. Because the administration says he didn’t supply the information, his class has been canceled.

“I take no pleasure in making the decision to cancel this course and it is not one that I took lightly,” Sherman wrote. “As employees of the System, we are required to follow its policies. We are actively working to assist those who were registered to find alternative courses that suit their academic goals.”

Bright said in a statement on X that the university’s claim that he declined to clarify the fact that his class addressed race and gender is false.

Bright said on X that his colleagues and students found out about the school’s decision to cancel his class before he did.

“This disrespect my Dean showed towards me was unwarranted,” Bright wrote. “The message was clear: Be very afraid no one can save you from being censored at Texas A&M.”

In an email to all students who were enrolled in Bright’s course, Lori Taylor, the chair of the Department of Public Service and Administration, also wrote Bright declined to provide the university clarity on his course.

“I regret to inform you that we were unable to secure an exemption so that Dr. Bright could teach the course as he believes it should be taught,” Taylor wrote. “As a result, system policy required the dean to cancel the class.”

Bright is the president of A&M’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, a group that protects faculty’s academic freedom. Bright has shared his concerns about A&M’s new course review process since it was passed, including a statement after another A&M professor was told to remove class readings last week.

Texas A&M’s Office of the Provost issued the new guidance in December, prohibiting faculty from “requiring or encouraging students to hold certain beliefs, particularly regarding gender or race ideology or sexual orientation, or to feel shame for belonging to certain racial or ethnic groups.”

A&M policy requires review of course materials

After the guidance was passed, all faculty were required to submit their course materials for review before being allowed to teach the course.

“Since the A&M System policies were revised on December 18, the university has issued detailed written guidance and established a structured framework for syllabus and course review,” wrote Michael Johnson, associate vice provost for academic enhancement, in a statement to the Star-Telegram. “We have also prepared defined timelines, a phased implementation plan, and a formal process for requesting course exceptions.”

Bright’s course cancellation comes one week after Texas A&M also told a philosophy professor he must drop class readings, including Plato, from his syllabus because they violated the race and gender ideology policy.

Texas A&M’s main campus is in College Station. The Texas A&M University School of Law is in Fort Worth, where the university is developing a downtown Fort Worth satellite campus, which is expected to be open to students during the fall 2026 semester.

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