(NEW YORK)–PEN America today condemned new levels of educational censorship at Texas A&M, after a professor was instructed to remove certain works by Plato from an introductory philosophy class. The directive was issued under new university system rules prohibiting discussions of “race or gender ideology, or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity” in most undergraduate courses. PEN America previously warned that these rules would “further erod[e] the climate for free expression on campuses across the state of Texas.”
“It is absurd that a professor could be told not to teach Plato, a foundational thinker in the study of Western philosophy since the Renaissance, merely because his writings discuss questions about love, gender, and human identity,” said Amy Reid, interim program director, Freedom to Learn, at PEN America. “Censoring classical texts in service of political orthodoxy is antithetical to the goals of education. Universities exist to engage students in difficult inquiry and not to suppress ideas just because they make some uncomfortable.”
“Texas A&M and its Board of Regents must rescind these chilling rules immediately and reaffirm the autonomy of faculty to teach the subjects within their expertise,” added Reid.
The incident is the latest in a string of troubling developments in Texas higher education this academic year, from the imposition of censorial policies to the dismissal of faculty members. PEN America continues to monitor the growing wave of efforts across the country to limit classroom discussion of race, gender, and sexuality as part of a broader assault on the freedom to read, think and teach.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Malka Margolies, [email protected], 718-530-3582