On May 7, students, faculty, and other attendees gathered on the campus of the Texas Tech University System for a symbolic “funeral” demonstration. This event aimed to protest state-backed limitations on classroom instruction concerning “gender identity,” sexual orientation, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The demonstration, previously reported by The Dallas Express, was set to coincide with a meeting of the university system’s Board of Regents and include a procession, a wake, and a press conference organized by campus groups.
The pushback came after Chancellor Brandon Creighton announced curriculum changes tied to Texas Senate Bill 37, a 2025 law that strengthened university governing board members’ control over classroom instruction.
“Academic freedom was murdered when certain topics were censored out of our curriculum, topics involving psychology, biology, social work, women and gender studies in the name of career readiness,” student protester Tara Findley said during the demonstration, according to reporting from USA Today.
The controversy follows broader state efforts to eliminate DEI offices and initiatives at public universities after the passage of Senate Bill 17 in 2023. Creighton authored both Senate Bill 17 and Senate Bill 37 while serving in the Texas Senate before becoming chancellor of the Texas Tech University System.
Ahead of the protest, Erin Daly Wilson, spokesperson for Chancellor Creighton’s office, defended the curriculum review process in a statement provided to The Dallas Express on May 6.
“The Texas Tech University System currently offers one of the most deliberative and thorough curriculum review processes of any university system in America,” Wilson said in the statement. “Prior to this review, the Texas Tech University System curriculum already held the distinction of being some of the finest available in higher education. Following the review process, less than three percent of available courses required revision.”
Wilson added that university leadership has “an obligation to students, taxpayers, and all Texans to uphold academic integrity by ensuring coursework is rigorous, relevant, and aligned with long-term student success and degrees of value.”
“The Texas Tech University System will continue supporting free expression, diversity of thought, and respectful dialogue while staying focused on academic excellence and real outcomes for students,” the statement continued.
The Dallas Express previously reported that critics of the policy changes argued the measures represented an alleged erosion of academic freedom. At the same time, supporters framed the reforms as necessary to ensure coursework remains focused on workforce readiness and public accountability.
The developments at Texas Tech also come amid mounting scrutiny of DEI compliance at universities statewide. In April, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into the University of North Texas over allegations that the university continued to promote DEI concepts despite state restrictions, DX reported.
