Gov. Abbott issues warning to Texas universities about teaching social agendas

Abbott issues warning to university leaders

Governor Greg Abbott gave a speech on Tuesday that sounded like a warning to university leaders about teaching social agendas.

AUSTIN, Texas - The UT campus is quiet now that final exams are over, but on Tuesday at the AT&T Conference Center, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott gave a speech that sounded more like a lecture.

The topic: economics, politics and what business CEOs tell him.

"There's been none of them who have asked me what is the ideological bent of what is being taught in our universities? How are students being indoctrinated? They don't ask that because that is not applicable to what they are trying to achieve when they hire an employee," said Abbott.

Abbott was at the annual conference of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. To those there, he issued a warning.

"You have a leadership responsibility, to ensure that there was no one on your campuses that are advocating for genocide or anti-Semitism. It is completely unacceptable in the state of Texas, period," said Abbott.

His warning was about statements three Ivy League university presidents made last week during a congressional hearing. They were asked if pro- Palestinian protestors who called "for the genocide of Jews" violated codes of conduct. They responded by saying it was up to the context.

"If we have university leaders who are so hinged to ideological concepts, where they are unable to say what is and what is not; anti-Semitism. What is and what is not; attempts at genocide. Then we have educational institutions that have lost their way as it concerns what their mission is," said Abbott.

There's more fallout from that Congressional hearing. On Tuesday, Republican leaders on Capitol Hill called for more accountability. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), during a news conference, accused officials at Harvard of making no changes to their School Code and condemned them for not firing university president Claudine Gay.

"This is a moral failure of Harvard's leadership and higher education leadership at the highest levels," said Rep. Stefanik.

Texas legislature advances bills on drag shows, college diversity programs

The House advanced Senate Bill 12, restricting children from attending drag shows and performances "appealing to the prurient interest in sex." The Senate approved Senate Bill 17, which would ban diversity programs at public universities.

This Ivy League controversy has cost donations and apparently future jobs for graduates. It’s a fallout that the GOP-controlled Texas legislature, earlier this year, may have anticipated. With SB 17, lawmakers shut down diversity, equity and inclusion programs at all public universities in Texas.

Gov. Abbott did not specifically talk about the new law during his Tuesday speech. But he made it clear he wants educators to educate and not push social agendas.

"Drifting from your core mission. It's not only exposing your universities to extraordinary condemnation like what some Ivy League schools have been subject to. You're causing us if you do it, to drift away from what our real core mission is, and that's to keep America the number one country in the world," said Abbott.

The university's DEI ban was signed into law by the governor in June. Several programs across the state were quickly closed, even though the law officially doesn’t take effect next month.