Texas A&M to philosophy professor: Nix Plato or be reassigned

Texas A&M philosophy professor Martin Peterson has a choice: Drop readings related to race and gender — including ones by Plato — from his course, or face reassignment. 

Just weeks ago, FIRE warned that A&M policy banning professors from teaching issues of “race or gender ideology” and “sexual orientation” in core courses violates faculty academic freedom. The First Amendment prohibits public universities from deciding which viewpoints can be taught in a classroom, and which must be banished.

The following can be attributed to Lindsie Rank, director of Campus Rights Advocacy at FIRE.

Texas A&M now believes Plato doesn’t belong in an introductory philosophy course. The philosophy department is demanding that professor Martin Peterson remove Platonic readings because they “may” touch on race or gender ideology. He’s been given until the end of the day to comply or be reassigned. This is what happens when the board of regents gives university bureaucrats veto power over academic content. The board didn’t just invite censorship, they unleashed it with immediate and predictable consequences. You don’t protect students by banning 2,400-year-old philosophy.

Read FIRE's letter to Texas A&M University