COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The former English professor fired after a video of her discussing gender in her class went viral last year is now suing Texas A&M University. 

What You Need To Know

Melissa McCoul filed a lawsuit in federal court in Houston Wednesday morning, accusing Texas A&M University, the Texas A&M University System and its leaders of violating her First Amendment rights when they fired her without due process

The lawsuit claims McCoul’s termination was the result of political pressure after a student complained that the class was exploring the topic of gender, which McCoul says was included in the course description

This all comes after McCoul was fired following a viral video of her and student, where the student claimed McCoul’s discussions of gender violated her religious beliefs and an executive order by President Donald Trump. The video was then shared by Republican officials on social media

Following the incident, the chancellor ordered an audit of courses at all 12 schools in the Texas A&M University System. That audit of approximately 5,400 courses just recently finished and resulted in six courses being canceled and the ending of the women’s and gender studies program

Melissa McCoul filed a lawsuit in federal court in Houston Wednesday morning, accusing Texas A&M University, the Texas A&M University System and its leaders of violating her First Amendment rights when they fired her without due process on Sept. 8. 

The lawsuit names as defendants the Board of Regents, Texas A&M University System Chancellor Glenn Hegar, former Texas A&M University President Mark Welsh III and Interim President Tommy Williams. 

McCoul is seeking reinstatement to her job and a declaratory judgment that she did not violate state law, university policy or directives. She’s also asking for damages, including lost wages and compensation, and back pay.

The lawsuit claims McCoul’s termination was the result of political pressure after a student complained that the class was exploring the topic of gender, which McCoul says was included in the course description. 

The complaint says Texas A&M fired her in violation of its own procedures, which require a finding of “serious misconduct,” an investigation and approval from a department head and a college dean. McCoul alleges she was never given an opportunity to defend herself and learned of her dismissal in an email from an administrator she had never met. 

That letter from Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs Blanca Lupiani said McCoul had been told her curriculum did not align with the description in the course catalog and instructed her multiple times to change it but she chose not to follow the directive. But McCoul’s lawsuit says she had never been instructed to change her course. 

Instead, the lawsuit claims administrators initially supported her when a student made a complaint about the content of her children’s literature course last summer, even going so far as saying she was “doing a great job” after an administrator sat in on the class. 

But when the same student complained that McCoul would teach a similar course in the fall on young adult literature, Welsh changed the course she was teaching to a class called “Studies in Genre” in which all but one of her previous students enrolled. The student who complained about the original course was not enrolled in the class. 

McCoul began teaching the course and thought the problem had been resolved. But on Sept. 8, state Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Waxahachie, posted a video on social media of the complaining student and McCoul arguing about the content of the summer course. The student said McCoul’s discussions of gender violated her religious beliefs and an executive order by President Donald Trump.

Later that day, Gov. Greg Abbott called for McCoul’s firing on social media. The lawsuit alleges the administration folded to political pressure, denying her a hearing to face the accusations that led to her termination and breaching the terms of her contract with the university. 

The lawsuit paints McCoul as a beloved teacher whose classes, particularly those on children’s and young adult literature, were so popular they often filled up within hours of opening registration. McCoul had never been reprimanded by the university in the eight years she worked there and had been commended for the “strength and clarity of her syllabi,” the lawsuit says. Students had historically scored her “well above” satisfactory, and her most recent annual evaluation had noted she “exceeded expectations.” 

She’d taught the children’s literature class “eleven times successfully and without a challenge” and was so enamored with Texas A&M that she planned to work there until she was “carried out feet first.” 

The lawsuit also notes that a review council of faculty members had found that McCoul’s academic freedom had been violated by the university, yet the school still maintained her firing. The internal committee unanimously ruled in McCoul’s favor.

Following the incident, the chancellor ordered an audit of courses at all 12 schools in the Texas A&M University System. That audit of approximately 5,400 courses just recently finished and resulted in six courses being canceled and the ending of the women’s and gender studies program. The university has claimed that the cancellation of the program was because of a lack of student interest.

The Texas A&M University System regents also voted in November to require professors to receive approval from the school president to discuss some race and gender topics.