The Texas Senate passed a bill on April 12 that would prohibit educators at public universities from coercing students into the belief that “any race, sex, or ethnicity or social, political, or religious belief is inherently superior” over another.
Conversely, the statute implies that professors also cannot force students to believe that anything contained in the list is inherently inferior either. Although not explicitly mentioned in the bill’s language, the proposal is meant to target the teaching of critical race theory (CRT).
The Senate passed Senate Bill 16 over the objections of Democrats.
Commenting on the legislation, the bill’s author, Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), explained, “Public institutions of higher education should be committed to creating environments where students are equipped for participation in the workforce and society while also respecting intellectual diversity.”
His proposal “would establish this express purpose for public institutions of higher education.”
The adopted version of the bill says public universities “must be committed to creating an environment of … intellectual inquiry and academic freedom,” in addition to “intellectual diversity so that all students are respected and educated.”
Furthermore, SB 16 orders that “a faculty member of an institution of higher education may not compel or attempt to compel a student … to adopt a belief that any race, sex, or ethnicity or social, political, or religious belief is inherently superior to any other race, sex, ethnicity, or belief.”
SB 16 would also require that a faculty member found to be in violation of the statute would have to be discharged.
Upon its passage, Sen. Hughes wrote on Twitter, “Senate Bill 16, which prohibits the faculty of higher education from compelling or forcing a student to believe or adopt certain beliefs, has passed the Texas Senate.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a statement, “Last session, we banned CRT in kindergarten through 12th grade because no child should be taught that they are inferior to others due to their race, sex, or ethnicity. In 2023 this should be common sense but the radical left’s drive to divide our society is relentless.”
“This session, there was no question that we would ban the teaching of CRT in Texas universities. Liberal professors, determined to indoctrinate our students with their woke brand of revisionist history, have gone too far,” Patrick added. “I thank Sen. Hughes and the other Texas Senate Republicans for standing with me to ban this divisive and ugly practice in our universities.”
Representatives from groups including Texas Legislative Education Equity Coalition, Black Brown Dialogues on Policy, Texas Students for DEI, Texas Faculty Association, Texas Freedom Network, and the Texas American Federation of Teachers indicated their opposition to the bill.
The American Association of University Professors suggested that SB 16 “has to be seen as the latest development in a multi-decade effort by the right wing to chill discourse, research and instruction they dislike and encourage what they do like.”
The organization further claimed, “Of course, this [faculty members compelling student belief] isn’t happening in classrooms. However, this provision would likely have a chilling effect on academic freedom in teaching.”
Sen. Borris Miles (D-Houston) similarly criticized SB 16, saying the bill, “was portrayed as a critical race theory bill for college campuses. It’s worse. It’s a broad attack on the freedom of speech on college campuses.”
“I voted against SB 16 because dictating what can be taught on a college campus is a step too far,” he alleged. “SB 16 takes us on a slippery slope to roll back the hands of time and hide the dark parts of our history.”
SB 16 will now head to the House of Representatives.