Texas Ousts DEI from Education

By Carole Hornsby Haynes       February 22, 2026     American Thinker

After years of liberal professors spewing their propaganda at captive students who needed the class for graduation, the pendulum is slowly swinging back to the right.  

Professors at the University of Houston (UH) have been put on notice that bias free academics is in and left wing ideology is out. Many are still riled over being required to sign a pledge to leave propaganada out of their courses. With the latest UH requirement to self censor their courses, left wing professors are digging in. Maric C. Gonzales, UH associate English professor, fumes, “The whole thing is draconian and ridiculous and out of control – and it’s really galvanized all of my colleagues.” 

Is this a veiled threat for a walkout? Why are they so opposed to ensuring their courses fulfill the primary purpose of education – to instill knowledge in the next generation? For years the left has been forcing conservative professors to accept their socialist ideology or be pushed out of academia while they have free rein to determine what students are forced to think and enjoy upward career mobility. 

UH professor Holley Carole Love actually admitted that professors indoctrinate under the guise of critical thinking, “Discussing difficult topics is how we teach students to think critically, to form and support their own arguments, and to engage in thoughtful and respectful debate.” 

Texas law prevents the core curriculum of universities from endorsing “specific public policies, ideologies, or legislation.” Schools must ensure that their core curriculum is “foundational and fundamental” and is “necessary to prepare students for civic and professional life” and “equip students for participation in the workforce and in the betterment of society.” School systems now are forced by Texas law to remove all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) departments and initiatives as well. 

Threatening defiance of state law, Gonzales said, “There’s no way I’m going to do a self-evaluation checklist to claim my innocence for accusations that don’t exist.” 

Will these liberal professors actually exit our universities if they are forced to follow Texas law? We can only hope. I still believe in miracles. 

Before walking away from their cushy jobs, liberal professors should assess their future in academia. With the major changes occurring in education, there will be far less opportunity for them to engage students in their cultural revolution designed to turn America into their “utopia.” 

In a presentation to the Institute for Business in Global Society, Harvard Graduate School of Education lecturer and co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute Michard Horn said 25 percent of colleges and universities are predicted to close in the next five to six years -- and perhaps up to 40 percent over two decades -- because of demographic shifts and changing demand. 

Horn said 15 percent of colleges and universities already have closed or merged over the past decade. In just the past year, nearly one college closed each week. Entire systems of public colleges and universities have merged, including those in Pennsvlvania, Georgia, Connecticut, and Wisconsin. 

Horn discussed a number of forces that are fundamentally reshaping education at all levels.Widespread disillusion over K-12 public education has led many parents to seek alternate forms of learning for their children. Homeschools, micro schools, and computerized learning have emerged as popular school choices. 

Since 2008 there has been a drop in the number of childbirths, which is causing a significant drop in school enrollment and a drop in the number of high school graduates available for college seats. 

Together, school choice and a lower national birth rate are dramatically changing public education and forcing many schools to close or merge. 

Horn cited the shift in public attitude toward a college degree as a factor in the changes in higher education. For decades, high school students have been channeled by guidance counselors toward college as the only route to success in life. That is changing. No longer is “college for everyone.” Horn noted that parents are becoming more discerning as they examine the “return on investment” in a college degree and the thousands of dollars of debt incurred. 

While more than 38 percent do not finish a degree within six years, half of those who do graduate are employed in jobs that do not require college to successfully perform the task. 

Employer atttitudes also are changing. In evaluating whether their jobs actually require college work, many companies are dropping the degree requirement for employment with some companies preferring to train their new hires. 

A major force impacting the future of higher education is GenZers who are shunning college for vocational programs. Noting the critical shortage of skilled workers for trades and technology, they are selecting this lesser expensive and shorter route to well paid jobs. 

AI is having a significant impact on education, too, with its quickly expanding need for continuous learning and work based experiences rather than using traditional education models. 

With the grim future for higher education, liberal professors should think very carefully before ignoring state law that requires the instilling of an academic education sans propaganda if they want a paycheck. Fortunately for America, there will be fewer opportunities for the far left to radicalize our next generation. America is moving on without them.