Abbott: 'Texas is targeting professors' over 'leftist ideologies'

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

10/19/25 8:05 PM ET


Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Sunday that his state is targeting professors pushing “leftist ideologies” as he shared news of the latest college educator allegedly fired over their beliefs.

In a post on social media, Abbott shared an Axios article about a University of Texas professor, Art Markman, who said the school’s leadership dismissed him from his administrative role in September “due to ideological differences.”

“Univ. of Texas professor was dismissed from an administrative post overseeing university academic affairs because of ideological differences,” Abbott wrote, echoing the professor’s own statement. “Texas is targeting professors who are more focused on pushing leftist ideologies rather than preparing students to lead our nation,” he continued. “We must end indoctrination and return to education fundamentals at all levels of education.”

Earlier this year, a Texas A&M University professor was fired after facing conservative criticism for a lesson on gender expressions, identity and sexuality. In the ensuing controversy, the president of the university resigned. The moves come as the Trump administration has sought to play a bigger role in higher education throughout the country, particularly regarding stamping out what it sees as leftist dogma.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/education/5563039-abbott-texas-college-professors-leftist-ideologies/

---

Whatever drug these MAGats are addicted to that causes them to perpetuate this non-stop manic insanity, needs to be banned. The obsessive use of censorship of anything but RW loon rants and ramblings, is tiresome.

First Amendment for me but not for thee.

[Champp]

1. Kristo Kancel Kulture RFP

The Republican Fascist Party is out to Kontrol our thoughts, our speech, and our "beliefs."

You can bet your butt.

[dedl67]

2. "Under the Nazi regime, thousands of professors were fired from their positions"

Congrats, Abbott. You just checked that box.

[Playingmantis]

3. Whats wrong with this?

They do it in Russia and they did it in Nazi Germany, didn't they? /s

Just dont call them fascists cause that's really offensive!


Ignorant bastards!!!

[Martin Eden]

4. Have any professors been fired for rightwing ideological beliefs?

It cuts both ways, right?

[SARose]

5. Greggy wants to be Prezzy in 2028

Yeah - get in line hot wheels.

[CTyankee]

16. hee hee, "hot wheels"....

[DBoon]

6. Here is Art Markman's self description from the UT Website:

Last edited Mon Oct 20, 2025, 11:50 AM - Edit history (1)

After getting a B.S. in Cognitive Science from Brown University in 1988, I went on to graduate school in the Psychology Department at the University of Illinois, where I got my PhD in 1992. Then, I spent five years as an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at Columbia University. My research has focused on four main areas. First, I am interested in the way people see things to be similar, and how they process similarity and analogy comparisons. While the study of similarity is interesting for its own sake, it is also interesting because of what it can tell us about other psychological processes. In order to look at the way that our ability to make comparisons affects our cognitive processing, I also do research on category learning and decision making. I have also gotten interested in the way that motivational factors affect learning, decision making, and cognition more generally.

I served as the founding director of the program in the Human Dimensions of Organizations from 2011-2018. This program aims to provide education in the humanities and the social and behavioral sciences to people in business, nonprofits, government, and the military. The aim is to teach leaders about how people, groups, and cultures influence the workplace. HDO has both an MA and a BA program. I also spent three years as executive director of the IC2 Institute, where we focused on economic development in small communities. I spent 5 years as an administrator in the provost's office.

So Abbott finds teaching about business applications of cognitive science to be "leftist indoctrination"?

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. OP is Art Markman, not Art Markham (nt)

[DBoon]

9. fixed it

reference is to Art Markman, mis-typed in subject line

[Whyisthisstillclose]

7. I really want to know where the widespread walkout of professors is.

I really would have expected much more response from our university faculties. I would have thought even right wing professors would understand the importance of open thought and discussion on a college campus. I am so disappointed lately. So many gutless, spineless phonies on every level of every institution.

[róisín_dubh]

14. There are no jobs?

I left my university in 2022. My savings and retirement, which were only about $65000, are gone. I have a crappy dead end job with shit pay in a foreign country. There are currently three jobs in my field.
The US academy is destroyed. Academics have families. I’m not sure what you expect them to do if they know they can be fired.

[Whyisthisstillclose]

15. Sorry for my pollyanna post. I was thinking of a 100% walkout

Of course it is not fair to expect individual academics to stand up to this craziness. My hope was that the Universitys would grow a spine if they were about to lose the institution itself.

[róisín_dubh]

17. Oh no the won't.

My former institution was quite happy to become a trade school. They still hold research intensive status but not for long I don’t think.

[Whyisthisstillclose]

19. Gotcha. Very sad how far we are falling so quickly.

I always seem to overestimate the good and underestimate the bad, but I am learning!

[GiqueCee]

10. When, oh when...

... will Texas finally rid itself of the Terrible Triumvirate of Abbott, Patrick, and Paxton? These are three of the rottenest, most despicable ogres that Satan ever shat out. They have NO redeeming qualities whatsoever.

[bluestarone]

11. Sorry to say this, but it's way past time to wheel him out to the interstate and

DUMP him along side of the Hi-way and take his chair and throw it in the river.

[Beowulf42]

12. The smartest people tend to be liberal. The smartest people are supposed to end up teaching the next generation.

So stripping your universities of the smartest teachers seems to be the intention. Good God we're a bunch of stupid.

[mdbl]

13. Fringe morons like Abbott are not qualified to call anyone leftist.

[Mz Pip]

18. Leftist ideologies

I wonder what his definition of leftist ideologies is.

[maxsolomon]

20. How do they know that these

"...professors... are more focused on pushing leftist ideologies rather than preparing students to lead our nation"?

Seems a tad subjective.