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By James Bickerton
News Reporter
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Governor Greg Abbott has weighed in on reports that Texas A&M University planned to send a delegation to a Ph.D. conference in Chicago that is open only to participants who identify "as Black/African American, Latinx/Hispanic American, or Native American/Canadian Indigenous."
Newsweek contacted Texas A&M University and Abbott's press office for comment via telephone and email, respectively, outside regular office hours.
Why It Matters
In 2023, Abbott signed Senate Bill 17 into law, which banned diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at public institutions of higher education in Texas.
Read More on U.S.
As a national conversation around DEI continues, many are curious about how the Texas law will be enforced.
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What To Know
On Monday, independent journalist Christopher F. Rufo shared internal Texas A&M emails that indicated the university planned to send representatives to a conference in March that was not available to those who identified as white or Asian.
Rufo wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "EXCLUSIVE: Texas A&M is sponsoring a trip to a DEI conference that prohibits whites and Asians from attending. The university falsely claims that this use of taxpayer funds does not violate the state's DEI ban. @TAMU is supporting racial segregation and breaking the law."
When a user brought Rufo's post to Abbott's attention, the governor replied: "Hell, no. It's against Texas law and violates the US Constitution. It will be fixed immediately or the president will soon be gone."
In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, Mark Welsh, the university's president, said: "Texas A&M does not support any organization, conference, process or activity that excludes people based on race, creed, gender, age or any other discriminating factor. The intent of SB-17 is very clear in that regard. We will continue to honor both the letter and the intent of the law."
Welsh also sent an email to the university's faculty about his social media statement, adding that the institution would no longer be attending the conference.
"I don't believe we fully considered the spirit of our state law in making the initial decision to participate. This particular conference's limitations on the acceptance of race is not in line with the intent of SB-17, and, as a result, we will not be sending anyone to participate in this conference," Welsh wrote.
Abbott has won plaudits on the right by opposing what he calls woke ideology. In December, the state launched a lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association seeking to require the body to prohibit transgender athletes from participating in women's sports.
Separately, legislation is making its way through the Texas Legislature that would make it illegal for schools in the state to receive federal funding if they allow transgender athletes to compete on teams for women and girls.
In May, Abbott told Texas A&M University that it would be "jeopardizing state funding" if it adopted a Biden administration update to Title IX that banned discrimination over gender identity.
What People Are Saying
Rufo wrote on X following Welsh's announcement that Texas A&M University would not participate in the conference: "WINNING: The president of Texas A&M has terminated the university's participation in a segregated conference. He admits that the university initially approved students to go to a conference that 'limited attendees by race.' But after he got caught, he changed his mind."
What Happens Next
It is unclear whether Abbott will regard the matter as closed now that Welsh has announced Texas A&M will not be attending the conference, or whether he is planning any further action.
In November, Republicans won the White House and a majority in both chambers of Congress, triggering speculation that they could try to introduce similar legislation on a national level.
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