On Sept. 25, 2025, Texas Tech released a statement to the universities in its system about compliance regarding faculty discussions of gender identity. The statement is vague and does not provide much guidance in the matter.

However, it makes two things clear: universities in the Texas Tech system will only recognize two sexes and “faculty must comply with these laws in the instruction of students, within the course and scope of their employment.”

So what does this mean for MSU?

For now, everything is very vague. According to President Stacia Haynie, MSU has provided the faculty with Texas Tech’s letter as guidance, and is currently working with the system’s general council to provide more defined guidelines.

“That has been what’s been available and we’ll be meeting with the faculty to answer questions they may have or at  least take those questions and work with the system for those answers. And working with general counsel for the system to provide greater clarity,” Haynie said.

For now, all that is known is that faculty members are no longer allowed to discuss transgender and nonbinary identities in classes. Whether faculty members can discuss gender identity outside of classroom instruction is still up in the air.

“I think the system is focused on the classroom instruction and ensuring that classroom instruction aligns  with the president’s executive order, the Governor’s Statement, and House Bill 229,” Haynie said.

This change comes after a student had a conflict with a professor teaching gender identity content in children’s literature course.

The student recorded the conflict and uploaded it to social media. The video circulated online and after pressure from State Rep. Brian Harrison, Gov. Gregg Abbott and backlash from the public, the professor was fired.

At this time, it is unclear what will change on MSU’s campus but there is no doubt that students will be impacted.

The Texas Tribune reported the teaching doctors have had to change their curricula at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to exclude the terms “transgender,” “DEI” and “affirmative action.” This has led to lessons surrounding transgender people being delayed until further guidance is released.

One professor told the Texas Tribune, “The Hippocratic Oath is ‘first do no harm,’ right? But if students aren’t prepared, then they are going to do harm.”

The Wichitan will continue updating this story as information arises but as of publishing, the Texas Tech system has not released any official guidelines.