A philosophy professor at Texas A&M University has been told to remove certain teachings of Plato from his course because they touch on topics related to gender. Under a new policy passed in 2025, any classroom content related to race or gender now requires administrative approval before it can be taught.

This kind of rule threatens academic freedom and violates the First Amendment. Texas A&M is a public university. Professors have a constitutional right to teach ideas and foster open discussion without fear of censorship or punishment.

The professor, Martin Peterson, teaches contemporary moral issues. Some of those issues involve gender and identity, and ancient texts like Plato’s dialogues are relevant to those discussions. He has made it clear that he does not advocate for any ideology. He teaches students how to analyze arguments and think critically about difficult topics.

What is happening here is not about politics. It is about education. If universities start banning content just because it makes people uncomfortable or because it might be labeled as controversial, then they are no longer places of learning. They become places of control.

This kind of censorship does not serve students. It weakens higher education and threatens the ability of all faculty to do their jobs. Academic freedom is not optional. It is a core part of what makes education meaningful in a free society.

We call on the Texas A&M University System to immediately:

• Remove or revise policies that require pre-approval for academic content based on topic
• Publicly affirm its commitment to academic freedom
• Respect the First Amendment rights of its faculty and students

Sign this petition if you believe college classrooms should be places of open thought, not censorship. Academic freedom must be protected—for professors, for students, and for the future of education in Texas.

Photo: Texas Tribune