AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott, in a statement on X, celebrated the firing of a University of Texas at Austin psychology professor from his position as an administrator who had been overseeing academic affairs at the university.
The professor, Art Markman, was fired from his academic administration role over “ideological differences,” according to his post on LinkedIn. Neither Markman nor UT would comment as to what the details of his dismissal were, but Abbott referred to “leftist ideologies” in his post.
Univ. of Texas professor was dismissed from an administrative post overseeing university academic affairs because of ideological differences.
Texas is targeting professors who are more focused on pushing leftist ideologies rather than preparing students to lead our nation.
We…
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 19, 2025
Markman’s new supervisor, William Inboden, assumed office on Aug. 1 and is a vocal critic of what he calls “identity politics” in the American university system.
In an article he wrote for National Affairs, a conservative-leaning magazine, Inboden said, “As an intellectual matter, classifying people and societies in race and gender terms or oppressor/oppressed binaries offers an incomplete, and at times impoverished view of the human person, the communities we form, and the endeavors we undertake. It also focuses more on what divides us, at the intellectual expense of what unites us in our shared personhood. While social divisions and oppressions are endemic to human existence and must be studied, the core concept of the ‘humanities’ is what it means to be human and what we hold in common.”
Although Markman is still employed as a professor, he strongly hinted in the post that he is considering other possibilities after 27 years.