A demonstration at Texas Tech University appears to underscore intensifying battles over diversity, equity, inclusion, and gender-related policies at public universities across the state.
Students and faculty at Texas Tech are planning a symbolic “funeral” this week to advocate against new systemwide restrictions on teaching and research related to “gender identity” and sexual orientation, according to the Houston Chronicle. The demonstration is set to coincide with a meeting of the university system’s Board of Regents and will include a procession, wake, and press conference organized by campus groups.
The demonstration follows actions by Chancellor Brandon Creighton, who last month announced the elimination of academic programs centered on sexual orientation and “gender identity.” The policy also prohibits graduate students from pursuing dissertations on those topics and imposes new teaching limitations that reportedly require hundreds of course changes.
Creighton reportedly said in a letter that the changes are aimed at ensuring coursework is “rigorous, relevant, and directly tied to preparing students for success in a 21st-century workforce,” while also reinforcing public trust and institutional competitiveness. Critics, including organizers of the protest, argue the moves represent a broader erosion of academic freedom, describing them as a “death by a thousand cuts,” according to the Houston Chronicle.
The developments at Texas Tech come amid a broader statewide push to curb DEI-related initiatives in higher education, following the passage of Senate Bill 17, which restricts DEI offices, training, and hiring practices at public institutions.
Creighton, who was at the time a Republican state senator, authored SB 17 in the 2023-2024 legislative session.
Notably, Texas Tech had not been among the universities previously identified as potentially violating the DEI law in a 2024 investigation by The Dallas Express, which found several other institutions — including the University of North Texas — had job postings or policies that appeared to conflict with the statute at the time.
More recently, scrutiny has shifted heavily toward UNT. On April 10, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into the university to determine whether it continues to promote DEI concepts despite legal prohibitions, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. The probe was prompted by an undercover video that allegedly showed a staff member describing ways DEI principles could still be taught without explicitly using banned terminology.
In announcing the investigation, Paxton said, “The DEI ideology has been a calamitous way that radical leftists have pushed a woke agenda in our educational institutions,” and called for the “immediate termination” of the staff member involved. His office requested extensive documentation from UNT, including internal communications and policy guidance related to DEI compliance.
The UNT investigation builds on earlier scrutiny documented by DX, including a 2024 review of job postings and a 2025 inquiry into the university’s handling of controversial student activity.
University officials at Texas Tech did not immediately respond to DX‘s requests for comment regarding the planned protest.
