Texas A&M has canceled a conference trip that excluded white and Asian students after complaints from the governor.
Texas A&M University has pulled the brakes on its upcoming conference tour after Gov. Greg Abbott, R., announced that only single-race applicants could attend.
On Monday, a conservative activist Christopher Ruffo posted a photo. University of Chicago Announcing PhD Project Annual Conference. The application states that the conference “is designed for historically underrepresented individuals considering doctoral studies in business,” and that only Black/African American, Latinx/Hispanic American, or Native American/Canadian students are eligible.
“Texas A&M is sponsoring a DEI conference trip that bars whites and Asians from attending. The university falsely claims that this use of taxpayer funds does not violate the state’s DEI ban. @TAMU is advocating racial segregation and breaking the law,” he wrote.
The post finally caught Abbott’s eye late Monday, putting the university president’s job security at risk if the issue is not corrected.
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“Hell, no, it’s against Texas law and violates the US Constitution. It needs to be fixed immediately or the president will be gone soon.” Abbott warned.
The university issued a statement on its X label saying it does not discriminate based on race in compliance with SB-17, a state law that prohibits diversity, equity and inclusion at Texas public colleges.
“Texas A&M does not support any organization, conference, process or activity that discriminates against people on the basis of race, creed, sex, age or any other discrimination. The intent of SB-17 is very clear in this regard. We will continue to uphold it. Both the letter and intent of the law.” The text is read.
University President Mark A. Welsh III acknowledged the application in question in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying the conference itself was “inconsistent” with state law and canceled the trip entirely.
“While a proper process was followed to review and approve attendance at such events, I do not believe we fully considered the spirit of our state law in making the initial decision to participate,” the statement said. “This special conference’s limitation on the race of participants is inconsistent with the intent of SB-17, and for that reason, we will not be sending anyone to participate in this conference.”
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Welsh continued, “Texas A&M faculty and staff attend hundreds, if not thousands, of conferences and other events each academic year. We need to make sure that our attendance at those events is consistent with the clear guidelines that we have been given by the administration.”
The statement was sent to Mays Business School staff and faculty.
Texas A&M responded to Gov. Abbott’s threat by canceling an upcoming conference trip. (Rhonda Churchill/Bloomberg via Getty Images | Photo by Brett Kummer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital also reached out to the governor’s office for comment.
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The PhD Project Annual Conference is organized by the Consortium for Research and Doctoral Works (PREDOC) and will be held in March. PREDOC website He described the application process as “unique” and “tailored to historically underrepresented individuals considering business doctoral studies.”