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Who is Melissa McCoul? Texas A&M professor fired after booting student from class over gender ideology objection
Texas A&M English Professor Melissa McCoul has been fired after removing a student from a lecture for objecting to the promotion of leftist gender ideas.
Texas A&M English Professor Melissa McCoul has been fired after she booted a student from a lecture for objecting to the promotion of leftist gender ideas during a children’s literature course. Texas Republican State Rep. Brian Harrison shared videos showing a student confronting McCoul during a children’s literature class during which the professor was allegedly pushing leftist views on sex, gender, and race.
Texas A&M President Mark Welsh said in a statement, “This afternoon, following full consideration of the facts related to this situation, I directed the Provost to terminate the professor involved, effective immediately. Please understand that these decisions were mine alone and were not made lightly. While I cannot provide all the details at this time, I will share the following facts.”
“This summer, a children’s literature course contained content that did not align with any reasonable expectation of standard curriculum for the course. After this issue was raised, college and department leadership worked with students to offer alternative opportunities for students to complete the course, and made changes to ensure this course content does not continue in future semesters. At that time, I made it clear to our academic leadership that course content must match catalog descriptions for each and every one of our course sections,” he added.
Welsh further said that it was brought to his attention that the college continued to “teach content that was inconsistent with the published course description for another course this fall” despite the directive, which prompted him to take these administrative actions. “Our students use the published information in the course catalog to make important decisions about the courses they take in pursuit of their degrees.” he added. “If we allow different course content to be taught from what is advertised, we break trust with our students. When it comes to our academic offerings, we must keep faith with our students and with the state of Texas.”
Who is Melissa McCoul?
According to Texas A&M University’s website, McCoul is a senior lecturer with her research areas being Composition and Rhetoric, 18th and 19th Century British Literature and Culture, Gender Studies, Children’s Literature and Young Adult Literature. She pursued her B.A. and M.A from Michigan State University, and completed her Ph.D. from University of Notre Dame.
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According to slides reviewed by The Daily Wire, McCoul’s class, for which she came under fire, was aimed at getting students to “think critically about what [children’s literature] can tell us about how we (and others) understand childhood.” The class devoted quite some attention to sex, gender, and “queerness.” A slide titled “Why talk about queerness at all?” denied that the sexual topic was not appropriate for children.
The student told McCoul during one class that the course material was against US President Donald Trump’s orders on gender and diversity, equity, and inclusion. “Thinking that homosexuality or queer people are always ‘x-rated’ is an effect of heteronormativity, the idea that heterosexual or straight is normal as well as normative,” the slide reads.
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“This also goes against, not only myself, but a lot of people’s religious beliefs,” the student added. “And so I am not going to participate in this because it’s not legal.”
McCoul asked the student if she was “suggesting” that the teaching on gender and sex was “false,” to which the student replied, “Yes.”
“You are under a misconception that what I’m saying is illegal,” the professor responded.
McCoul went on to say that her teachings are “biologically true,” adding that the student would not be able to prevent her from teaching those ideas on gender identity and gender expression. “Because I do have the legal and ethical authority [and] professional expertise in this classroom,” McCoul told the student. “It’s time for you to leave.”
Mark Welsh was criticized too
Even though Welsh has now fired McCoul, he was previously heard in an audio shared by Harrison, saying in a phone call with the student who was removed from class that the university would review the children’s literature course, adding that “there’s not a problem” teaching LGBT literature as long as the university clearly states that it will be part of a class. The student then asked Welsh if there would be more changes, including firing McCoul. Welsh accused the student of attempting to “pick a fight.”
“What do you expect us to do, fire her?” Welsh asked, and the student replied, “Absolutely.”
“That’s not happening,” Welsh snapped back.
Welsh's handling of the situation prompted calls for him to resign.
McCoul’s firing comes after Gov. Greg Abbott called for it on social media. He reposted Welsh’s initial statement saying he “directed the provost to remove the dean and department head from their administrative positions, effective immediately.” Abbott captioned the re-post, “Good. Now, fire the professor who acted contrary to Texas law.”
