The president of Texas A&M University is resigning less than two years after assuming the position for his handling of a viral video in which a student questioned why a teacher was teaching gender ideology in a children’s literature class over the summer.
President Mark Welsh’s resignation will take effect on Friday at 5 p.m., Texas A&M announced late Thursday. Welsh is expected to provide a statement sometime on Friday.
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“President Welsh is a man of honor who has led Texas A&M with selfless dedication,” Chancellor Glenn Hegar said. “We are grateful for his service and contributions. At the same time, we agree that now is the right moment to make a change and to position Texas A&M for continued excellence in the years ahead.”
The outgoing university leader became embroiled in the gender ideology controversy when a state lawmaker shared a video earlier this month that showed a Texas A&M student objecting to a lesson on Jude Saves the World, a book featuring a nonbinary character. The video was filmed on July 29.
The student, who remains anonymous, argued the instructor was illegally teaching gender identity and transgender ideology in violation of President Donald Trump’s executive order that declares there are only two genders. Instructor Melissa McCoul responded, “My gender isn’t illegal,” resulting in a back-and-forth exchange between the two.
Before leaving the classroom, the student revealed she was going to meet with Welsh about the matter. The professor in question was ultimately fired.
Welsh also fired McCoul’s dean and department head in response to the video. However, that wasn’t enough for some Texas Republicans who said Welsh didn’t handle the situation well.
“His ambivalence on the issue and his dismissal of the student’s concerns by immediately taking the side of the professor is unacceptable,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R-TX) wrote on X. “This is not the first instance of a lack of confidence in President Welsh’s leadership.”
Earlier this year, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) threatened to fire Texas A&M’s president after the university’s business school invited doctoral students and faculty to a conference supporting classroom diversity. Welsh evaded firing by pulling Texas A&M from participating in the conference.
The Lone Star State has banned diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at its public colleges and universities since 2024.
Republican Texas state Rep. Brian Harrison, who posted the viral video on Sept. 8, celebrated Welsh’s departure and claimed responsibility.
“As the first elected official to call for him to be fired, this news is welcome, although overdue,” Harrison posted on Thursday. “Now … END ALL DEI AND LGBTQ INDOCTRINATION IN TEXAS!!”
A retired four-star general who served as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Welsh became president of Texas A&M in December 2023.
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The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, whose nine members were appointed by Abbott, will conduct a nationwide search for Welsh’s replacement. An interim president will be named soon.
Texas A&M is the latest university to see its president leave due to public pressure led by Republicans. The University of Virginia’s former president, Jim Ryan, resigned in June amid scrutiny from the Trump administration’s Departments of Education and Justice over the institution’s DEI initiatives. Meanwhile, George Mason University President Gregory Washington managed to hold on to his job and also received a 1.5% pay raise despite federal pressure over DEI.