'Institution of dead dogmas': Texas A&M professor resigns over trans, race-related policy

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The philosophy professor at the center of January's controversy at Texas A&M University over writings by Plato being removed from coursework has turned in his resignation. 

Dr. Martin Peterson, a tenured instructor for the school, is moving to SMU this summer, leaving behind a university that he says is becoming "an institution of dead dogmas." 

A&M's Plato professor resigns

The latest:

Peterson sent his resignation letter to faculty on Thursday, which holds no punches in calling out the university for what the philosopher calls "censorship policy." He ends the letter by saying the school is on a path toward teaching only material that has become unchallenged and unexamined. 

What's next:

Peterson now plans to join Southern Methodist University in Dallas this summer, where he will serve as the Scurlock Chair in AI Ethics. 

Plato removed from A&M course

The backstory:

The situation is rooted in a January controversy in which Peterson had to choose between dropping selections from Plato's ancient philosophy text Symposium from his Philosophy 111 course or being reassigned to a different class. The school's new policy on "gender ideology" and "race ideology" prevented Peterson's selections from being discussed. Since then, he's replaced the writings with media coverage of his situation, with accompanying lectures on "Free Speech" and "Academic Freedom."

In the months prior, Texas A&M had fired a professor (who has since sued the school), demoted department heads, ousted a retired U.S. Air Force four-star general from his seat as school president, and reshaped their framework for accepted course content. It all started when the definition of "gender" was officially tightened — and the penalty for suggesting a broader understanding was drastically increased. 

Why Dr. Peterson is leaving A&M

What they're saying:

Peterson, who has been a philosopher for 30 years, said he might have been okay with a policy that simply prevented professors from advocating for certain ideologies. He says he believes professors aren't meant to be ideological proponents, but rather provide information for students to consider themselves. 

"But now we have a list of prohibited topics, things that we cannot teach," Peterson said in a Friday interview with FOX Local. "And then A&M cannot explain or motivate that in a reasonable way. No serious research university in the world has a list of prohibited topics that professors may not teach."

Soon after A&M adopted their new policies, Texas Tech followed suit. Peterson thinks public universities, which answer to the state and local governments that fund them, may be losing their credibility as they acquiesce to lawmakers more often. So, Peterson is off to Southern Methodist University — a private school with fewer ties to political opinion. 

"The private institutions are still well-functioning serious research universities," Peterson said. "They are not trying to indoctrinate the students in Republican ideology or any kind of ideology for that matter, and that's what it should be like."

How students have reacted to the new policy

The last time Peterson talked to FOX Local, he was preparing to replace Plato and gender ideology with a New York Times article and lectures on free speech. So far, he says, the new coursework has led to interesting discussions about liberty. 

"We have had a couple of demonstrations for academic freedom on campus, so it's been an eventful and intellectually stimulating semester," he said. "But, of course, I'm not the victim here. The students are the real victims. But they have also learned something about what it means to be a good citizen and stand up for basic freedoms and rights."

Peterson said he's been careful this semester to keep his students informed on the situation while making everyone feel welcome. So far, he gets the feeling that all of his students, including those who align with the conservative leaders who initiated the change, value free speech and academic freedom.

"It's not my job to tell them what they should think about the issue. If they think that it's good that lectures are being censored, they should be free to say so. But no one has been willing to defend that view."

Criticisms of Peterson's situation

The other side:

Since the beginning of the Plato controversy, Peterson's story has been met with support and criticism largely on a partisan basis. People who lean left have tended toward bewilderment at Symposium being cut from a philosophy course, while those who lean right question the professor's motives. The university itself has maintained a stance that Plato is not outright banned, and that their only goal is to prevent ideologies from being pushed on students. 

Conservative outlets like Texas Scorecard, which reported on the situation in March, accuse Peterson of things like using an "obscure" writing by Plato to manipulate the ancient philosopher's words in support of modern gender ideology. In response, Peterson said he was never given the chance to teach the selections, much less manipulate them. 

The bottom line

In the end, Peterson says his stance on the situation is not rooted in Plato or in advocating for a certain social trend. The bottom line for this philosopher is that professors ought to have control of their syllabi, not legislators. 

"There is a problem with higher education in Texas, at least at public universities," Peterson said. "The politicians are trying to take control of public universities and tell professors what to teach and not to teach. What's the point of having experts in the classroom if someone who's not an expert on the subject decides what can be said in a classroom? It's not a university anymore, it's something else."

Texas A&M gender controversy backlog

• Texas A&M admins demoted over LGBT courses; lawmakers call for terminations
• Texas A&M fires professor over LGBT course content, orders audit of all classes
• Texas A&M president to step down in midst of LGBT course content controversy
• Texas A&M tightens restrictions on professors teaching race, gender topics
• Texas Tech joins A&M in restricting race, LGBTQ+ course content
• Plato is latest casualty in Texas A&M crusade against LGBTQ+ course content
• Professor fired after Texas A&M gender lesson controversy sues school

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